Yasmin and hair loss

I have just been on Yasmin for a month but had serious doubts from day 1. I have nausea constantly, extreme fatigue (go to bed at 9.30 sleep until 7 am, still knackered), hair loss, listlessness, headaches, incl. a proper migraine attack, blurred vision (just got new specs so should be fine!!!) - in fact very like my 1st trimesters of pregnancy!!! I sooo agree with Shellac above;
"Instead of being "liberated" we, (not the men) become slave to the pill. And then we don't get he freedom or the man. Try organic sex, in the ways God intended, much healthier." I shall go back to using condoms!!!
Jeanette

HEADACHES,NAUSEA,MAJOR HAIR LOSS,EXTREMELY DRY SKIN,GALLBLADDER REMOVAL,FULL HYSTERECTOMY,PANIC ATTACKS,MOOD SWINGS,STOMACH/DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS,PARANOIA,NEAR LOSS OF JOB,PROBABLE LOSS OF MARRIAGE,MONETARILY DEPLETED,SHORTNESS OF BREATH,HEART PALPITATIONS,VISION TROUBLE,CHILDREN TRAUMATIZED,LOSS OF ENERGY,NEED FOR THERAPY,CURRENTLY USING THE CLYMARA HORMONE PATCH. I WAS ON THIS YASMIN DRUG FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS, AND SYMPTOMS STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER I STARTED ON YASMIN. I WAS PUT ON YASMIN TO KEEP OVARIAN CYCSTS FROM BURSTING. I FINALLY TOOK MYSELF OFF OF IT DUE TO WHAT FELT LIKE A MINY STROKE AMONG SOME OF THE OTHER SIDE AFFECTS. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND MYSELF FOR 5 YEARS, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS PERSON INSIDE ME. DOES ANY ONE KNOW IF CLYMARA IS OKAY TO BE USING W/WHAT YASMIN HAS DONE TO ME? IS THERE A CASE # NUMBER FOR ANY CLASS ACTION SUIT OUT THERE?

I have been on Yasmin for over 5 years, and just thought that I was a hypochondriac. After starting Yasmin I experienced severe nausea and unrelieved hunger pains. I saw a gastroenterologist who performed an EGD and Colonoscopy at the age of 20. It was normal and I was placed on Protonix to help with the GI issues. Also I have severe joint pains in my knees, hips, elbows and shoulders. I have been tested for everything from Lupus to Rheumatoid Arthritis, and it was all negative. I get headaches, have little sex drive if any, my skin is not clearer than usual and nor has it been since starting Yasmin. Thanks to all those people who have voiced their concerns and shared their stories, it makes us feel less crazy. I threw out all my birth control pills last night and I am going to try another form of contraceptive. I mean my headaches and chest pains have gotten so bad that they have forced me to go to the ER on several occasions. I DO NOT THINK THE BENEFITS OF YASMIN OUTWEIGH THE RISKS ASSOCIATED.

Yasmin is most definitely the pill from hell! I was originally on Microgynon from the age of 17 until I was about 20/21 which was when I changed to Yasmin. I didn't notice at the time but I had the usual mood swings which come with any contraceptive, I got diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and I was suffering with anxiety and palpitations for no reason. I stopped taking Yasmin in 2007 to give my body a break but had problems with other forms of contraception so I gave in and went back on the pill after a few months, this was when the worst side effects came! Depression, anxiety, palpitations, racing heart beat, breathlessness, migraines, crazy mood swings and I’m so aggressive with it too! My aggression scares me sometimes it’s that bad!  The worst side effect has to be my hair loss! It upsets me so much! My GP but it down to low Iron and Pernicious Anaemia a year ago which I am now being treated for and my hair hasn’t got any better! I went back to my GP at the end of my tether and he did more tests including sex hormone tests which show some of my hormone levels through the roof and others struggling to get into the normal range. I had no idea this was what Yasmin did to your body! I have an appointment to see my GP tomorrow to discuss these results! Hopefully he will have some answers!

I noticed that for the past couple months my sex drive has all but disappeared, and I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping. I was thinking it could have been Yasmin, but never got around to checking up on the side effects as my doctor said it was stress from work. After reading these blogs I now realize that so many of the symptoms you guys are experiencing I have also experienced. The back pain, cramps for no reason, tiredness, bad dreams, paranoia........, it's all there. The most recent is the hair loss which I have never ever experienced before. Yesterday was the last day I took Yasmin.

I have lost an ovary to ovarian cysts and was put reluctantly on Yasmin to save the other ovary.

Since going on Yasmin my hair loss, PMS, skin have all improved and I get no more large cysts but still a lot of pain in the ovary which radiates down the leg and across my back.

However, today I went to my GP regarding a bill payment and he just routinely took my blood pressure which was 160/98, I've been sent home with a heart monitoring machine and given urine and blood tests (still awaiting results). Six months ago, just before going on Yasmin it was fine. I now have a suspected issue with my kidneys and have very dark urine, hot flashes and fluid retention.

I'm now officially off this drug as from today but the doctors are pushing Yasmin and claim it's the only drug that will work for my hormone imbalance. If there is an alternative to Yasmin (combined pill) for my hormone imbalance I would be only to glad to know about it as doctors keep telling me how wonderful Yasmin is.

Thank god I found this site! My body has been going crazy ever since I started taking Yasmin two years ago and I didn't put two and two together until reading all of these postings and realizing the Yasmin might be the culprit.

I'm a healthy 31 y.o. who exercises regularly, doesn't smoke and has been on various oral contraceptives for the last decade without too many side effects beyond slight moodiness and minor weight gain. About two years ago I switched over to Yasmin. About two months ago I came across this site as I was researching hypertension which I had developed. I was confused and didn’t know what was causing it as I am healthy, unstressed and have a history of low blood pressure. But as soon as I found this site it all started coming together and I realized Yasmin had done much more than raise my blood pressure. I immediately went off the pill and almost right away many of my side effects went away. Here's what I've experienced since being on the pill:

-Weight Gain: Almost right away I gained ten pounds. I’ve effortlessly lost five of those pounds since going off the pill.
-Seborrheic Dermatitis: After a few months of being on Yasmin I developed a painful scalp condition called Seborrheic Dermatitis. Side effects of this are inflamed scalp, redness and most importantly, hair loss. The doctor said it is generally brought on by stress but on further research I saw that it is also caused by hormones, so it wasn’t a stretch for me to realize Yasmin might be the culprit once I saw this site. Over the last couple years I’ve been using all sorts of prescription shampoos to make the problem go away and nothing helped. But as soon as I went off the pill my scalp condition cleared in only a month without the use of shampoos.
-High Blood Pressure: Before I went on the pill my BP was about 100/70. During the time I took Yasmin my BP slowly climbed to above 140/90. Within two weeks of going off the pill my BP was back down to pre-Yasmin levels.
-Irregular Heart Beat: After about a year and a half of being on the pill I started to suffer from seriously irregular heart beat which went away immediately after I got off Yasmin.
-Hyperpigmentation: I know any birth control can cause this but none of them ever have until I went on Yasmin at which point it sprung up all over my face. I’m hoping the dermatologist can clear it up now that I’m off the pill.
-Tightness in Chest: Happened around same time as irregular heartbeat and is now gone.
-Anxiety: I’m not sure I can blame Yasmin for this one since going off Yasmin has not caused it to go away. But enough posters on this site mentioned it as a side effect and it wasn’t a problem for me pre-Yasmin, so I wanted to mention it.
-Irritability: I’m generally easy going and don’t let the little things bother me, but as soon as I went on Yasmin everything started to bug me. Now that I’m off Yasmin I’ve been in a much better mood.

If anyone is on this pill or thinking about going on it, I implore you not to. Too many risks especially since there are so many other pills out there that don’t have many side effects. I mean, there are close to 5,000 postings on this site, mostly against this pill while if you search the web there are almost no other pills that generate this kind of attention. That alone tells me something. I hope the makers of the pill pull it from the market immediately or doctors stop recommending it.

I'm 28 and was on Yasmin for about 3 months and it was the worst birth control pill ever. I gained 15lbs, lost a lot of hair and had the worst mood swings ever, i cried all the time and would yell at my kids for no reason, im sorry but no birth control is worth that. I hope this helps someone

hi i was wondering if hair loss is a side effect i have lost a lot of hair and i noticed it started when i started taking Yasmin....i had very thick hair it was an Afro but now it's very very thin coming out in handfuls...Does anyone have advice for this
A.

lower back pain, hair loss,joint pain, complicated migraines, vertigo, palpitation, hormonal imbalances (lowered DHEA, increased aldosterone-it affected my adrenal glands and kidneys), epigastric pain, bleeding, extreme fatigue, anxiety,pulmonary failure etc. I had to go through ER, 2 CT scans ( abdominal and brain), 2 MRIs, neurologist, endocrinologist, GI, gyno etc. I threw my Yaz pills in the trash after the first CT scan that revealed multiple tumors in my liver and left adrenal gland ( i took the pills for about 3 and 1/2 years)... the past 6 months have been a hell, but there are no more migraines, anxiety or other neurological symptoms at this point. By the way, one of my best friends who just started on Yaz recently ended up in the ER last week with a blood cloth in her left lung. Please stay away from that drug!

hi everybody. i started using Yasmin about 3 months ago as i was told i had cysts. but since a month into taking it i am having really sharp headaches chest pains and mood swings. i am also experiencing hair loss. i am only 20 so i cant think what else could be wrong.can anybody help me out here as im getting really paranoid and getting about 4 hours sleep every night with pain and worry!!!! thanks x x x

I've been on Yasmin for the past 2 years and the first 6-8 months were like hell for me. I've experienced hair loss, depression, lack of motivation, terrible migraines which wouldn't go away with one dose of paracetamol. All these symptoms have abated by time but the symptom which is constant is: lack of libido, I feel that I've been robbed and don't know when and if I'll ever get it back!

I have been on Yasmin for 2 years and i was recently diagnosed with an eye disease called keratoconus which is loss of vision and cornea problems and Yasmin might have been the cause of it. I also have had excessive weight gain that i can get rid of, depression, sleeping problems, and hair loss. I am concerned because i do not know if it is healthy to just stop taking birth control but i don't want to do more harm to my body.

Side Effects: hair loss, mood swings, decline in sex drive, headaches

Thank God for this site! I started taking Yaz around June 2008. I recently decided to stop taking the pill and had a tubal ligation. Around October 2008, I noticed that my hair in the mid-top was thinning. I've always had very thick hair. It could have actually started before then, but I didn't notice it until then. Now, I have a small bald spot in the front of my head which is very hard to cover up. I stopped the pill in April 2009. In addition to hair loss/thinning, my sex drive declined, I was moody, had headaches, extremely tired, and always had an "attitude". I hope the bald spots do not continue.

I had been on Yasmin for about seven years. I decided to get on the pill because I used to experience HORRIBLE menstrual cramps and pretty bad acne. For seven years, I thought that Yasmin was the BEST thing that ever happened to me. My cramps went away, my acne cleared up and my hair seemed healthier than ever.

In January, I decided to give my body a break and get off of the pill. I figured that seven years was a long time to be dependent on a drug. Since I have gotten off, I have had a RIDICULOUS amount of hair loss, terrible mood swings, hints of depression, wacky appetites, increased acne and my menstrual cramps are getting worse with each cycle. I have been off of the pill for 5 months now and I am wondering how long it takes before the drug is completely out of my system. Can anyone help?

I just started my 3rd month of Yasmin. i definitely experienced mood swings and mild feelings of depression, but nothing uncontrollable. there is a significant increase in size of my breasts and i thought that was all until about the past 2 weeks or so. i had been working out a lot and lost a little weight before starting the pill, now within the past few weeks my whole upper body seems puffy and other people have even noticed a weight gain. i took Yasmin for a year about 2 years ago and never experienced these problems. it can't be in my head! and its not worth it to me. i'm on the 3rd day of my 3rd pack and i'm stopping. should i expect to experience awful side effects: hair loss, acne, more weight gain, etc? since i've only been taking it for 2 full months. and how long will it take to get out of my system? is this all in my head???

I have been on Yasmin for the last 2.5 years after I delivered my daughter. I noticed I had hair loss towards her coming to 1 year old. But attributed it to my post pregnancy hormones adjusting still. Till today - she is now 2 years 5 months and I am still having hair loss/thinning hair. I just realised it could be due to Yasmin but I am not sure. I am going to see my OB/GYN next week and will ask him whether it could be really possible. I know that I have also super low libido. Both of this possible side effects is no fun!!

Hmmmmm...... I also didn't have these symptoms until I got the gardisil shot.... which I got my second one at the same time I went to my Dr. for the anxiety.....

YASMIN/GARDASIL Girls ... are you CERTAIN it's the Yasmin? I would be all of you have had the HPV ... this is what might be causing you problems ... hair loss, migraines, severe PMS .... the list goes on. Check out the Gardasil page to see what you see .... gluten-free and SUPER HEALTHY!!! Get the toxins out of your body from the Gardasil. This may be what's causing your problem. SLOW SLOW SLOW Chelation therapy. Eat an apple every day and check out the other medications site for Gardasil. Lots of info!!!

Hi All

I've been on Yasmin for a year. At first, it’s fine until there’s some side effect such as emotionally, leg cramp, headaches, breathless, chest pain, etc. since July ’08. Had stopped taking Yasmin on end Aug ’08. Since stopping it, I feel much better emotionally but was feeling so sick every day as had gained about 9 Lbs, stomach bloating, indigestion, abdominal pain, headaches, water retention (swelling on my finger & legs), having acne on my face, skin become very dry & skin allergy and the worst is that I’m losing lots of hair everyday (about 1/4 of my hair in the past few months and it’s still dropping & some portion already bald).
Could anyone give some advice how to get my hair back to normal through their experience?

Thanks

Hi

HAIR LOSS: I was on the Yasmin Pill for 2 and a half years. I have now been off it for 2months. In the past year i had been experiencing hair loss, but in the past 6mths i have gradually lost half of my hair. I feel so disheartened as my hair was my glory. Its not just the loss, its the condition, each strand has thinning out, and my hair is long with no movement and just a clump. I have heard about people taking VIVISCAL for hair loss, has anyone taken this? Please advise me on whether this works. Does anyone have any other advise on how to bring back my hair and prevent further hair loss through natural remedies?

ANXIETY: Since i have come off the pill, i have noticed myself thinking silly thoughts, and fallen into anxiety, which i have NEVER experienced before.

SWEATING: I have also noticed that i am sweating alot more, and suffer hot flushes, especially at night.

BREASTS: My breasts have reduced a cup size :( - but a very small loss after every other symptom i am experiencing

MOTIVATION: I have lost my motivation, i feel lazy and not proactive at all in my usual interests

If anyone has any advise on the above, to heal naturally please reply

thanks

I started using Yasmin 2 weeks ago & am having serious problems like heaviness in my chest, short breath, nausea, headache, acidity. At one point I felt as if I got an heart attack! My physician sent me for an ECG yesterday & I am worried about the results! I hope to recover from all these side effects soon because my work is getting affected due to discomfort.

Ive been on Yasmin for about a month and my mood swings and irritability freaks me out. depression is def. a side effect. Lately ive been feeling extremely unattractive when ive never had confidence issues. Haven't really cried much but have been about to. Hair loss, maybe, ive always suffered from hair loss but he fact that this pill supposively enables hair loss is not a good thing. Im 21 years old and am very scared that im forcing my body to mature too early...?

Wait a minute!!!!! Let me say that I have really been spooked by everyone testimonials regarding Yasmin. Although I AM sympathetic and very sorry to hear of all you r health problems, I think that before we all get into a panic over this, we need to take other things into serious consideration. We have no clue what one anothers lifestyle is. Their diet, weight, allergies, stress issues , medical issues, other medications, exercise, genes, and sometimes age. I myself have suffered from hair loss, digestive issues, constipation, eyesight changes, fibroid/fatty lump in my breast, migraines, moodiness & poor circulation. And that was BEFORE I went on the pill. Sorry to say….but I’ve learned that these issues all come with age. I’m 39. And at age 35 I started seeing all these changes in my body. I was on NO medication and in pretty good health and would see a doctor regularly just to make sure. Some of these symptoms that were experiencing just might be due to the fact that were getting OLDER!! I even became somewhat lactose intolerant literally overnight. And one lady said in here that there is lactose in the pills. So maybe some of you are more susceptible to it.
And remember, the chemicals and hormones they’re putting in the pill…isn’t All Natural. They’re chemicals!!! Which can be hard on the body. (God did not design us for them). And a lot different from what I remember 20 years ago. When I used to take the pill you had to wait at LEAST a month before you can be safe from pregnancy. Now it’s only a WEEK! Hmmm…..that’s an obvious difference/change/warning….whatever you want to call it. Maybe the pill isn’t such a necessity for some of us. Maybe just a change in diet and vitamins might help us. For just pregnancy protection…maybe try another method like condoms, shots, diaphragm, etc….. I admit that I was having headaches ever since I started the pill 4 days ago. But then I realized that I only got them when I would sneek a cigarette 4 times a day. Shame on me!! That’s the ONE THING they tell you NOT to do. But now I know it’s not worth the pain and risk to my health. I didn’t smoke yet today and….no headache!! But I have not had any other side effects……YET. But when I do, I will look at other issues in my life that are going on….Diet, water intake, stress, genetics, normal woman changes, etc. I’m not saying that all your symptoms are nothing or not related toYasmin, but maybe look at the big picture before you overreact.

I have been on Yaz for over 2 years......2 years ago I had to have my gallbladder removed, and the enzyme levels were so dangerous I had acute pancreatitis and a hepatic liver; I suffer from sever IBS; depression, mood swings, paranoia, and now am having trouble breathing in my left lung. Dry skin, hair loss, loss of normal period, bloating and inability to lose the weight I have gained and very low energy...I could sleep all day! I am at a loss, and I have a Doc appt tomorrow. Please let me know where or who to contact to get involved with a class action lawsuit!!!!

I stopped taking Yasmin over a year and half ago as i was getting thoughts of suicide and migraines, i spoke to my doctor who said that i was having an estrogen withdrawal in my 7 day break so she gave me oestrogen tablets to take in between. I don't usually take any kind of tablets, not even for headache so i thought this was stupid. So after a couple of years of taking it (oh and i forgot to say im from England were this drug hasn't been out long, i was used as a guinea pig, first to trial it at my local doctors) i stopped. Then the trouble began two weeks after stopping i got more headaches and started to itch my head on one side. The result was my hair fell out caused by alopecia, caused by body shock from coming off the pill, after that i developed Telogen Efluvium, which is another form of hair loss. I ended up loosing 50% of my hair all over. I had oily skin and severe acne.
So now i am now still recovering, i take Viviscal herbal tablets at £40 a month, to help my hair growth. But all this dosnt help the fact that i am still recovering, i do however see the light at the end of the tunnel and im just going to be patient.
I if could just get some time with the people who make this stuff and also spread the word, DON'T TAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been on Yasmin since 6 weeks after having my baby, and he is now 5 months. Since then, i have noticed some strange things going on, and until finding this site i just thought it was my body still adjusting to having a baby. But I have been VERY emotional, and can snap at my husband very easily. I also have been having heart palpitations and it will almost take my breath away, and i feel like i could pass out. I thought it was low iron and went to the doctor, and they said they couldn't find anything wrong. I also have been losing my hair. I kept telling everyone how bad my hair is falling out, and my husband is just amazed at how much because he has to clean out the shower drain everyday because of it. Also my skin has been itching me like crazy. And now i really think its because of this pill!! What would be a better choice? I defiantly don't want to get pregnant again this quick, but i don't want to have to go through all of these symptoms, especially if they are going to get worse.

Hi
Again just like many of you ladies out there i am so glad i came across this website. I have been taking Yasmin for the last 2.5yrs. I used to have very think long hair, and was always complimented on it. recently my hair has thinned out, and falls out everytime i comb or wash it. I have reecntly started to experience numbness in the tips of my toes, i have just in the past few days experienced knee joint pains. Last year i had very bad chest pains, and i never thought it would be the pill, but i have been complianing to my family about breathing difficulties too. I do feel nauseous most of the time, and i feel tired all the time, i fall asleep anywhere. I am a pretty healthy individual. I have suffered headaches, reduction of vision, pain just under my ribs near the lungs, especially when i wake up in the mornings, i suffer hot flushes, again like others mostly at night... I used to be a pretty calm person, but now looking back i have had my moments of rage !
Thank God i came across this website because luckily im on my 7day break at the moment, and will probably not take them again ! and try lady comp just like another lady has .... hope this helps

My symptoms are

Massive hair loss by the roots, which started about 2 years after going OFF the pill and hasn't stopped. Some hair still hasn't grown back yet.
Bloating with water retention (this is where the bigger boobs come into it).
Leg Cramps
Pins & Needles in legs and toes
Cold/numb spots on one leg
Can go without sex for long periods

However, the benefits are:
clear skin, no mood swings. No depression.

Wow. I found this site after looking up causes for lack of sex drive. I've been on Yasmin for 6 years, but never thought for a minute it had anything to do with the problems I've been having. Loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness, hair loss, mood swings (partners always gets the brunt of those), repeated bouts of chest pains (diagnosed with pleurisy recently, don't know if there is a link).

I had got to the point that I thought this is just the way I am, it never occurred to me that something else could be causing this. I can't even remember what it's like to be normal.

I already have 2 kids and don't want any more at the moment so I don't know what the solution is. Well, I haven't wanted sex for the last few years so i suppose the bloody thing has done its job in that way!

I'm just shocked, this has been a real wake up call. I'm stopping taking the evil little things as of now.

I wanted to ask you ladies if any of you have seen or had hair lose due to Yasmin? My girlfriend has had all the symptoms you all have talked about she has been on for maybe 3months and has seemed to have been loosing more hair? we are trying to figure out why?

I have been off this pill for 6 days...was taking it for 11 months and I feel horrible today. My side effects while on this pill where:hair loss, complete loss of libido, vaginal dryness, headaches, muscle pain and twitching in my legs, rash on my breasts that was very itchy, nervousness, bladder problems: constant need to urinate and feeling pressure in my kidneys. The list goes on and on. I am scared coming off these pills, I have had dizzy spells all day and feel very nauseated, I have bad cramps. I stopped the pack mid-cycle and I have been bleeding fully since yesterday. I am so scared of whats going to happen next.

After reading a lot of these comments I can say that I'M NOT CRAZY! Yasmin really was the cause of a lot of problems that I had. I switched from Ortho Tri Cyclin to Yasmin about two years ago because I wanted lighter periods. It took me almost that entire time to figure out why I was feeling so much different. I never had problems with spot bleeding on Ortho and Yasmin didn't change that. I did start having really bad headaches a few days before I would start my period. It also cause my hair to stop growing and become very thin. It took me forever to realize that my hair started to change about the time I changed my birth control. I have tried everything to get my hair to grow again! Nothing seems to help. I had acne in high school (around age 18) but after and up until about two years ago (age 21) my face has always been clear. After switching to Yasmin, now about two weeks before my period I break out, mostly around my jaw line ITS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL ALL OVER AGAIN. I also found that it has an effect on the face cleaner that I use. I have used proactive for the past 4-5 years out of habit and found that two weeks before my period my face has a horrible reaction to the cleanser. Its gets really red and irritated and it itches like crazy. That only lasts for a day or two tops but I never had that problem before. The worst part about Yasmin in my opinion, besides the hair loss, is that it turned me into a down right mean person. I treat my boyfriend like absolute crap, and for no good reason. I have no tolerance for anything, I snap at him constantly and I yell at him for everything. I met him about three years ago and he always asks me why I changed so much from when we met. I guess I figured it out! I'm getting off this stuff and thinking about switching to ortho tri cyclin LO, is that any better?

I began taking Yasmin in July 2006. I had been on bcp for about 10 years at the time, mostly due to bad cramps and pms symptoms. Yasmin worked out well, but there was just one side effect, I would become extremely emotional right before my period. In October 2007 I went for my yearly check-up and mentioned this to my doctor. He switched me to Apri (Desogen) saying that this would be a better pill for that side effect. I began taking it that next month. Right away I had feelings of nausea and breast tenderness. Even though I felt like this I gave Apri a chance. In January 2008 I couldn't take feeling like this anymore and stopped taking it. In February I noticed my hair began falling out. I hadn't gotten a period this month either. I went to the doctor in March and she ran many blood tests. My estrogen came back extremely low (at a level of a menopausal woman). Instead of exploring any other options as to what to do, the doctor put me right back onto Yasmin, since now I went two months without a period. I figured that I would have to learn to live with a little moodiness before my period that Yasmin gave me. The doctor also made me believe that this would put an end to my hair loss...Nothing could have been further from the truth!!! I went back on Yasmin in March 2008 and what a HUGE difference than from the first time I was on it. Not only was I emotional now ALL the time, but I physically felt much worse. I had constant breast tenderness, acne (which even as an adolescent I never had), oily skin, and my hair was constantly falling out. Emotionally I was a wreck! I was constantly crying and very depressed! I began going from doctor to doctor, which is unlike me. I hate doctors and would only go for a serious illness. Now I was hoping that one of these doctors could give me an answer. But 6 months later and NO ANSWERS. The only thing that a few doctors said was that Yasmin was good for those with hair loss. So after reading many of the entries on this website and after much soul-searching...I am going off birth control for good!!! I have lost well over half of my hair, have practically pushed everyone that means anything to me away, and have personally hated myself! I have literally lost the past 6 months of my life! It is now time to see what my body is capable of on its own. I'm done putting this poison into my body and would tell anyone else to do the same. I always knew that there were side effects associated with any kind of medicine, but I could not have ever imagined that all of these side effects could have and would have happened to me. I felt like I had to write this after reading all of the other entries. Many of those entries gave me the courage to quit and I would be happy if this could help or inform even just 1 person! I would appreciate if there were anyone out there that had a similar experience to either post it or reply. Thank you.

okinawak so sorry to hear about your daughter. All I can relate to you guys is my personal experience. I was on Norimin for a couple of years from the age of 19. For the last year (up until a couple of months ago) I was on Yasmin. I experienced anxiety whilst taking these pills which I attributed to stress, but since I have been off the pills I am feeling fantastic. I stopped taking Yasmin because I was experiencing other things like pains in my calves, hair loss and getting spider veins, loss of libido (I'm only 23). :-( I decided upon reading other experiences on this page to stop taking Yasmin. I am happy to report back that I am feeling great... Fantastic in fact. I won't say that its directly related to Yasmin as I have no way of proving that. All I can say is how I felt during and after. And for the last three months I have felt greater confidence in my ability to deal with what life throws at me. I am feeling happier all the time, and I think my libido is improving. All the best to you guys, and all those out there worried about symptoms, please go see your doctor!

I have to say, this drug was made for me. I did quite well on it. I was on it for a few months to control my progesterone levels, which was elevated about 6 months ago. I stopped growing so much chin hair, I lost about 30 lbs and I felt sexy and vibrant. However, getting off them has been the hardest part. I am constantly spotting, my breast hurt so much and I am beginning to see the hair loss again. It's like a cruel joke. I am enduring this to give my body time to get off them but it will be a tough road ahead of me.

Hi ladies,

I just finished my last pack of Yasmin on Thursday because I felt I was pumped with hormones. I googled "coming off the pill Yasmin" and came across your comments.
I was originally put on Yasmin by my Doctor as I had put on a few pounds. I lost that weight with exercise (can't diet) but I have never lost my DD breasts (I was a C cup before Yasmin) and I've a tummy which when I bloat the week before my period, I look pregnant!
I've been experiencing a lot of the negative side effects of Yasmin over the last year and I was beginning to think I was going mad.
I suffer from very bad headaches, water retention, bloating and loss of sex drive.
In the last 2 or 3 months I'm now suffering with nausea, leg cramps, sore breasts, anxiety and feeling down.
As most of these symptoms have occurred in the last year, I just got fed up. I've been on the pill for 14 years (on and off), and on Yasmin for at least 6 years. I'm now 32, I'm married and would love a child.
I feel by coming off this pill, my body will settling into a routine before I hopefully conceive.
So glad I found your comments and I'm not alone in how my body feels.
Thank You.

My daughter has been on Yasmin for a year and a half - it was prescribed for irregular periods and spotty skin. She is 15 and has had a year of nausea, leg cramps, hair loss, headaches, elevated heart rate,fatigue , irritation,angry outbursts ,dehydration severe moodiness and depression and lately- uncontrolled crying for no reason. She also sees black dots after exercising. She has gone from a happy girl who loved exercise to a grumpy couch potato! The doctor diagnosed it as a viral infection and suspected glandular fever - she missed a lot of school!
Today she had a day from hell - fought with a teacher and cried for hours. She also takes Ritalin as she is ADD- so I thought it was that - I decided to look up Yasmin and am so glad I did! What a great website! She has just taken a multivitamin and mag.phos - NO MORE YASMIN!!! Any advice on what she can use for her skin? and irregular periods?
A million thanks
Caron

Hello all Yasmin Survivors.
I stopped taking Yasmin in July 2005 and three years on I am still re-building my life! I feel this pill and its side-effect stole some of my best years, I am 33.
My main side effects were extreme anxiety, agoraphobia, pounding heart, panic attacks, fear of doing anything (even going 10 minutes away from my own home). I was on it for 12 months and the side-effects started very gradually at about 5-6 months, I barely noticed them creeping up on me. It took me another 6 months of taking it to start to question whether Yasmin could be causing the extreme change in my personality. I think if I hadn't stopped I'd have had a major breakdown. I had lots of weird physical symptoms too including, bloating, passing urine all the time, leg cramps, dizziness, hair loss.
Anyway, all the extreme anxiety and stress caused by Yasmin left me with exhausted adrenal glands - which I'm now trying to re-build. Anyone feeling fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, inability to handle stress in the same way as you used to, PMS several months after stopping Yasmin should look into Adrenal Fatigue as a possible cause of their symptoms. It's hard to treat and can take a long time to recover - but there are lots of things you can do to help your body re-build. Visit ******(doctor Andrew W. website on Adrenal Fatigue) as a start to find out more about the condition and how to find out whether you are suffering from it.
It would be good to hear from more people re-building their lives after the impact of taking Yasmin on this site. Also, is anyone out there trying to put together a class action?
Sarah

I was on Yasmin for a number of years and had chest pains. I also have 2 red "dots" on my hair line that formed about a year ago. I noticed my hair thinned out too. I never made the connection that it could be related to the Pill. I also had frequent headaches, but would just take some Aleve and be on my way.
Anyways, I went off in February, and it is now June, and I still have no period. I've seen the gyno, tried to take Provera, and nothing is working to help me get my period. I ended up getting some bloodwork done. My estrogen levels are extremely low (like someone that is in menopause). I AM ONLY 25!!!! I am guessing it is related to coming off Yasmin somehow. Please contact me if you have similar things, as I am now getting all the symptoms of menopause (severe hair loss, night sweats, hot flashes, uncontrollable moods).

I have waited long enough to tell my story. I am a 29 yr old single mother of 3. I started YAZ in Feb of 2008. I took it for 11 days. ELEVEN DAYS. It was about 4 days in that the headaches started. I couldn't stand light, I wore hoodies and sunglasses. I was nauseated. Saw double, black spots. Motion sickness.I could barely make it to work. I was out of control. I did not have control over my mind. I was crazy. My friend almost took me to the hospital to have me committed. There is no history of this in me or my family. The headaches would last from the time I woke up til the time I would go to sleep. Painkillers was the only thing that would keep me asleep through the pain. My dr immediately stop the the pills. I saw an eye doctor and they found nothing. They ordered an MRI. They found T2 Foci scattered throughout my brain. VERY unusual in someone my age. What that is, is my protective covering of my brain cells had been damaged there were gaps in its covering. I soon developed a stutter and a slur in my speech. The pain then moved throughout my whole body. They said fibromyalga and daily migraines. I'm now on topamax daily which gives me breaks in my headaches. I still get them daily. I still have pain in my body daily and I'm on painkillers daily. I have found a new dr who is wonderful. Who has recently taken blood. Who thinks that maybe it could be lupus. So I started researching Lupus...my symptoms and rashes match up. There is also a DRUG INDUCED LUPUS. and ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES is a KNOWN drug that can cause this!!! BUT IS THAT ON THE LABEL???? NOOOOOOOO!!! I was perfectly healthy before yaz, in kick boxing and now I walk and have the memory of a 60 yr old and my brain is permanently damaged. I have another MRI coming up to find out if there is more damage and I will find out the results of the blood work to find out what is wrong with me...but I blame all of this on YAZ and I hold them responsible. I SAY CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT....just have to find a firm with big enough BALLS to do it!!!

I have been on Yasmin for two months now. I got the month-long spotting and irritability in the first month. My female coworkers would make a joke out of it and say that I was "yazing-out" when I got moody. In the second month, I noticed my hair is thinning. Dramatically. I thought maybe it could be from stress at work. But, now after reading this site I see others have experienced hair loss too. I thought estrogen was supposed to work against hair loss? Ugh....

I started taking Yaz for about 3 months and couldn't tolerate the daily spotting and severely itchy skin from my knees to my ankles. I switched to Yasmin and though I don't have as much breakthrough bleeding, it still occurs daily a week BEFORE my real period. I have very little to no sex drive and I have to use Aveeno 24 hour anti itch lotion immediately after showering (I've lived in a desert climate for over 10 years now and have NEVER depended on anti itch lotion much less regular lotion since starting these pills). It was so bad a couple of nights that I took Benadryl to get through the night. After reading the posts from others, I'm thinking that I must have an allergy as I, too, have constant post-nasal drip in addition to the itching. I have also noticed more hair shedding but luckily for me, I have thick hair. The only benefit is I don't seem as moody as with other birth control pills and have kept my weight somewhat normal despite not exercising and overeating on the weekends. I am going to my PCP to change back to Ortho Novum although I dread the moodiness that comes with increased estrogen. Why can the drug companies come up with incredible drugs like Cialis but 30 years later, we still have @$#! for birth control pills?

Side Effects: Yaz -- daily breakthrough bleeding
Yasmin -- breakthrough bleeding 2-3xs a week
Both-- severely itchy lower legs, constant post nasal drip, hair loss, severely decreased libido, occasional leg cramping

I was taking Yasmin until mid 2007 and took a break until 3 months ago. Since starting with Yasmin again I've been feeling very unwell. Constant nausea, sever fatigue, hair loss which I have never experienced before, stomach cramps, no energy, weight loss, kidney infections. I have been to the doctor twice in the last week presenting with these symptoms. I have 5 pills left in my third pack of Yasmin and I'm stopping today. Yasmin should be taken off the market- there must have some change to the manufacturing process since I last took Yasmin last year.

i've only been on Yasmin for two months, so maybe my body just needs to adjust or something...
that said, i've been experiencing:
-extreme mood swings (crying ...in harold and kumar, irrational random anger...generally just feeling kind of crazy), nausea, extreme hair loss, and headaches (when i usually don't get them at all).
I'll give it another month to clean up its act

Migraines (with Aura), slight weight gain, loss of sex drive, hair loss and mood swings.

I started taking Yasmine in 2005 and almost imeemdiatley I started to have severe anxiety, depression, no sex drive at all and worse of all extremely bad migranes especially a few days before getting my period and during. My life had to be put on hold when I had my period because of the migranes. I stopped taking the Yasmine 3 weeks ago because I just couldn't take the migranes anymore. I have noticed I have gained some weight, my skin and hair feels alot oilier, and my hair has been falling out more than usual which is kind of freaking me out, don't have mood swings. My sex drive has gotten better which is a relief. I still don't know if my migranes will have gone away during my period. I'm just curious can anyone tell me if these side effects (hair loss, weight gain, oily skin) will go away after a few months.
When I went off another type of pill I actually lost weight, why is this one different?

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.

I started on Yasmin a year ago because I believed the TV advertising. I had no noticeable side effects for several months, then began heart palpitations, anxiety attacks in the middle of the night, crying for no reason, severe headaches, and my blood pressure, which has always been low, skyrocketed to as high as 160/130. I asked my gyn if Yasmin could be the cause and he said maybe, so I took myself off it. I had to go on blood pressure medication, but I'm hopeful that after that poison pill is out of my system I can get off the meds. The doctor's office called yesterday to say my cholesterol was so high they wanted me to go on medication for that. I last had cholesterol checked in Nov, and it was fine. I've been off yasmin for two weeks and already feel more hopeful and less anxious.

Doing an article on Yasmin, INFO WANTED on Side Effects that occur after you stop taking the pill

Hey okay so I'm doing an article on Yasmin, the side effects that occur when you stop taking the pill, and would like more information on it. I would like to interview ex users of the pills that have experienced either hair loss, lack of period, severe headaches, and just about anything that resulted. I need to write this article ASAP! All experiences are helpful. I too used to be on the pill, and ever since I stopped taking it my cycle has been out of whack. Please contact me either via email gator924@ufl.edu or through AIM: lipsfullbittin or via phone: 786-239-8751.

While most people know some of the side effects of taking the pill, few know the side effects that occur when you stop taking it. It would be a helpful article to any users or future users of the pill, don't you agree?