Yasmin and heart

Hello Ladies,

I first posted my story in 2005, but check in now and then to remind other poor sufferers.

The first year or so on Yasmin was free of any noticeable side effects then out of no where my whole life changed, I had vertigo, became severely depressed, very anxious, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts...NONE of these symptoms had I ever experienced before in my life...I was always the 'glass half full' girl.

No one knew what was wrong with me, and my family were desperate. One day I found this website and it saved my life. I realized that it was Yasmin that was destroying me. I immediately stopped it (although now am told that finishing the pack would have been optimal)...my depression and panic attacks stopped within days. It was like a dark cloud lifted. Let me be honest though, it was a long road to feel 100%...the first few months my anxiety seemed to get worse before it got better, according to my cycle. The light at the end of the tunnel is that YOU DO GET BETTER. I have been there when you wonder if the 'old you' will ever return....you do.

I recommend you eat a healthy diet, eliminate caffeine and white sugar, and get all your hormone levels checked...including your thyroid and adrenals. This pill is poison and depletes your body of all the necessary vitamins and nutrients, and completely destabilizes your hormonal balances.

Each month you will be closer to complete healing. I stress that everyone is different and you may not take as long as me to recover, but take heart if it is taking longer than you expected.

This is a temporary state of mind. It is not the real you.

Take care xx

I've been on birth control for 10 years and recently had to switch. My doctor put me on Yasmin. I've been on it for 3 weeks, and for the past week I've felt crazy, especially in the past 2 days. My heart has been racy, I've had intense anxiety, I've been extremely sensitive. Overall, I'm happy with my life and have nothing to feel sad or anxious about, but that is all I've been feeling. I also have felt like I can't sleep good for the past 2 nights. I wake up really hot, sweaty and with achey legs. I'm done with this pill!!!!!!!!!!

I am a new poster & am excited to be a part of this discussion !! I feel to close to this discussion because I have been experiencing the same issues.
I too have been having major chest pain issues for almost 2 months now. I started Yasmin (much to my dismay!) about 6 months ago. I haven't taken any b.c. since I was about 19, I am now 30, I started because my periods were absolutely unbearable anymore, intense cramping, heavy flow & in incapable of work/activity for the first 2 days. My doctor always pushed b.c. on me for the pain relief. Finally I agreed. I started in February, 2008.
Almost 2 months ago (7 months into Yasmin) I was getting a bit of chest pain along the ribs/inside of the side of the breast, mainly the right & sometimes on the left. I wasn't too worried as I am a healthy eating, yoga/work-out doing, average weight, no health issues what-so-ever except for my intense period kinda gal. About a month went by with increasing chest pain & I went to the hospital (up north at my moms when I was visiting, only an hour wait to get in as apposed to the 6 here back home!). My fear was heart problems. They did blood work & (I am not sure what this is called!) they hooked me up with tons of little stickies & monitored my heart. - I mentioned to the doctor I was taking b.c. & he said it wasn't an issue, they usually pose blood clot risk....not my issue here.
They said everything was normal & because of the sensitivity of the chest pain (it is sore to the touch!) he said it was costochondiritis, the inflammation of the chest wall. So I thought that was it, I would just take the Advil the suggested 3 times a day for inflammation & it would go away. I did this for 2 weeks & nothing changed.
I was getting some shooting pains in my chest & went back to my doctor, explained my visit up north & what they concluded it was. She said that the costochondiritis has made me sensitive to acidic foods, prescribed me with previcid for a week. That didn't make any difference at all.
Here I am another month later & my chest pain feels worse, my chest still feels tender to the touch, I am short of breath going up the stairs, heart racing/palpitations, gas (burping & passing gas), some upper back ache, I am feeling helpless & beat down !!
By now I'm sure there is a bit of anxiety mixed in there, I have been so sad, scared & worried!
I went back to my doctor & she sent me for an upper G.I. to rule out acid reflux & it came back normal. I also did some blood work again (which have since came back normal) & am waiting for the results. She said she doesn't think it's costochondiritis now. I am scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound & with a cardiologist (I go tomorrow) for an EKG for my heart.
Last night my hubby & I were talking, my co-worker was really upset to hear I've still been taking the pill, she thinks it's poison. I told my guy that & we got out the information booklet from my Yasmin & there were ALL of my symptoms, there was a list of 12 & I had 8 of them !!! No vision or numbness problems but all of the chest pain/breathing issues.
I took my last pill 2 days ago (it was my last before my period) & I have no plans to start again. I am going to follow through with the scheduled appt.'s just in case but my hubby & I have our money on the pill being the cause for all of this.
1 thing that gets me is when I went to my doctors with this issue in the beginning, not once did she bring up the pill or say to stop the pill. In the booklet under all of the symptoms I've been having it says to immediately stop taking the pill. ;(
After taking my last pill I felt a bit better (it's only been a week/my menstruating week), the sharp pain on the inside/side of my breast/chest has not been as sensitive to the touch. I still have had palpitations (minor, not lasting long - to lasting up to 4 hours until I just go sleep to try to get rid of it) & sparse shooting/dull/aching pain in my chest/armpit.
YASMIN SHOULD BE BANNED !!

My 15year old daughter has just stopped taking Yasmin due to severe depression, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, suicidal thoughts and chest pain with erratic heartbeat. I thank God that we figured out the connection to Yasmin. She has been spiraling down so quickly, I thought I was losing her. While she does not relish the return of heavy, long periods, she is so ready to have her sanity back. Her counselor and gyn confirm the strong likelihood of these being side effects of the Yasmin. I was ready to put her on Prozac and sleeping pills because the situation was so desperate! While I was on Yasmin for years with no adverse effects, there ARE people who are desperate because of this pill! The hundreds of posts are too numerous to ignore the REAL truth. Is is worth it to "just try it out" for a boob inflation? You are taking a serious risk, sweetheart!

hi, please can someone help me :-(
I'm 17 and this is my first time on any pill, I was on mefenamic acid to deal with painful periods but had to stop after I used them incorrectly.
I started Yasmin 6 days ago, and since my period stopped I have had constant pain in the left side of my back, headaches, am very tired and constantly feel like I'm about to be sick.
Is this normal? My parents don't seem to understand how much it's affecting me and I can't keep missing school.

WENDY.... IN UR POST ABOUT THE BLOOD CLOTS IN THE LUNGS.. WHAT WERE YOU FEELING THAT MADE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL? THIS PILL IS A LIFE RUNNER....I FEEL FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU... ANYONE THAT EXPERIENCED THE ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS ON THE PILL... AFTER STOPPING YASMIN DID THEY GO AWAY?....

I am so relieved to read all of this.
I have been on Yasmin for about 2 months, and it has been a nightmare.
I have suffered from heart palpitation, leg cramps, nausea, & severe depression.
I'm only 16, and I don't want this medication to ruin my life.
I was told that this will give me shorter and lighter periods.
I am currently on my 8th day of my cycle.
So much for "shorter."
I will never take this horrible pill again.
Thank you all for opening my eyes.
I thought I was going crazy.

I was put on Yasmin not for birth control but for the beginning of fertility treatments. I was on Yasmin only 1 months. After about 2 days I started getting symptoms. I called the Pharmacist and my fertility doctor and they both told me the pill wasn't the culprit. But after the 20th day I just couldn't take it anymore I went off of it. After starting Yasmin I had TERRIBLE Panic attacks, Anxiety ( still have to this day two months later), Heart Palpitations, leg cramps, boobs hurt, breathing trouble ( still to this day), HORRIBLE thoughts, adrenaline rushes all hours of the day, tingling in my hands and feet, my mind feels fuzzy, no appetite, no sex drive, depression, crying fits for hours, I felt like i was going insane.... You name it I had it. I stopped the pill two months ago and I still have the horrible anxiety/attacks, feel like i cant breath properly, OCD about my breathing.

I went to the hospital and got checked for blood clots in my lungs, legs, Asthma test, EKG, blood tested, was put on heart monitor all came back normal. I have started seeing a therapist, on depression meds and none of it is working. I feel like this pill has ruined my life and i wasn't even trying to stop life i was trying to help create it.

Here i am two months after stopping the pill and yes some of the stuff has went away but i still suffer with Anxiety from the time i wake up in the morning till the time I go to bed at night. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. My head is getting a little clearer and I am not as depressed as before. But I am just praying that this anxiety goes away. I have NEVER been a person who can't handle stress or gets anxiety/panic attacks and since it started it hasn't stopped. I am so very weak, muscles ache so much which i think is from the anxiety attacks and the muscles tightening.

So if you have this... you are not alone! I am suffering with it everyday. It is so debilitating I cant do much. Has anyone else had this months after stopping Yasmin?

Hi Gosh I can't thank this forum enough. I have booked my appointment for the Doc today I have felt so bad, and then came across this forum. I used to suffer from Panic attacks about 5 years ago. It happened suddenly and it got so bad that I ended up in Hospital. I was put on anti depress. for a year. Now I know I was on the pill then but can't remember which one and never thought about a link. However I have been fine for the last few years and was not in a relationship so didn't go on pill. Now in one for the past year and a half and firstly went on Dianette as I had bad acne then6months later went on to Cilest, had really bad breakthrough bleeding on both. So last month switched to Cilest. Have had two major Panic Attacks within the month, and as I never associated the pill with the attacks the last time it never occurred to me until now that it could be related. It was obvious to me that there was a connection to Yasmin as I just went from normal to mental this month, had a huge row with my Fiancé over nothing, had two major attacks. On Saturday was out at a meal and my mouth went like sandpaper, couldn't get rid of it then almost a second later major diarrhea
and felt heart palps. Was up all night anxious. Now my head is all fuzzy, ringing in the ears, feel my neck is stiff and I am dizzy all the time and my heart is really beating out of my chest. My contacts are also a nightmare with dry eyes This is after one month on Yasmin and it has to be it as nothing else in my life has changed over the month (except getting engaged< so I can’t be depressed!) I have really felt out of sorts and bloated too. I have talked to my Fiancé about it and have said that I may just come off the pill all together and get an alternative non hormonal contraceptive as I am just so unhappy on the pill and sick of changing.

Hi, ladies. I have been on and off birth control for nearly 8 yrs now. I am 26. I started when i was 17 d/t very heavy menstrual bleeding and cramps. I've been on several different kinds. I just started Yasmin (actually the generic) 3 days ago and have decided to come off of it already. After reading some of your comments I have def decided I'm going to take a break from the pills. I have experienced severe depression and anxiety within the past two days and my heart racing really rapidly. I have mitral valve prolapse and was surprised my nurse practitioner prescribed this for me. I have also been very sleepy. Not sure if this is one of the side effects or not. But please be careful to all of you out there when choosing birth controls. I've decided to take my chances w/ the cramps and just suck it up. No medicine is worth causing your body harm. I don't recommend Yaz or Yasmin to anyone!

I have only been taking Yasmin for a week. I am a healthy 35 year old woman and had not taken the pill in over 7 years. It is so OBVIOUS and striking that only after a week I feel terribly depressed and anxious. During the weekend, my heart was racing, I was crying and depressed for no reason. My "status" on facebook said "I feel lonely" until my friend asked me if I was taking any meds and all of a sudden everything was clear. It is so clear that the cause of this severe malaise is Yasmin. Yasmin caused me to be severely depressed and anxious in only a week of taking it. I will stop it immediately. I am also very upset at the nurse practitioner because I specifically requested she choose a pill that wouldn't cause depression! urg!!!

im sorry but i don't know to write very well English,cause im Albania,i started to take pill last year cause i have 2 abortion and i was only 17.i started to get very depressed,cry the whole day.hate everyone.no sex drive.i have been taking Yasmin for over a year,and suddenly i decided to take off even i don't finished the packet,and a leats that a week i started to bleed very mush,and know its my lif in risk,so please take care of yourself,and if anybody can help me.do it,write me

I've never taken birth control. But my sister was on yaz and she died 1 month ago. She died of a huge blood clot in her lung. (pulmonary embolism) SO if you're on yaz please reconsider something else. I know they say that the most serious side effects are the least likely to happen. But they could still happen. No one is exempt from any of the side effects. My sister never thought she was going to die from Birth Control; but it happened to her and it could happen to any one. Try turning to God for a change. He is the GREAT PHYSICIAN.

Anjamaka,
Like you I have taken BCPs since the age of 18 and like you I did not suffer any side effects, I took Yasmin in 2001 with no side effects at all for nearly 4 years when I started to feel really bad :horrendous muscle cramps/ blackouts, hypoglycemia, lost of energy, arthritis, earache, fatigue, heart palpitations etc etc...and I have a very healthy life, I eat well and exercise regularly. When I stopped Yasmin 4 years after, these symptoms went away!! So don't say that we are complaining and wait until your time comes!!
Sylvie

Wow you are all a bunch of complainers who try and blame XYZ on Yasmin which probably have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the pills. I have bee diagnosed with PCOS and have been on hormone therapy since age 15, first zovia, which worked well enough but did not get rid of a lot of my symptoms, only lessened them somewhat, so now I am on yaz. My depression has completely subsided, I feel GREAT and only had some nausea which almost EVERYONE gets when taking a hormone therapy birth control pill. Trust me, if you are going to have SIDE EFFECTS it is not going to happen 4 YEARS LATER, please.... grow up and take responsibility for yourselves, rather than trying to blame a pill

I have been on birth control since I was 16 due to severe cramps during that time of the month. I have been on several different kinds. They placed me on Yasmin about 3 yrs ago. I thought that was the best one that I had ever been on until I went off of it. I have been off of Yasmin for about 2 1/2 months, since then I have developed anxiety, panic attacks, depression, with racing thoughts. I have contacted my OBGYN who said that this would not be a side effect. I have to say that everyone's body is different. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced any of these symptoms and if so how long will I feel like this?

My daughter took Yasmin for two months and 18 days. She began to experience anxiety but the nurse told her that Yasmin "took some getting used to." My daughter decided to give it one more month. In the 3rd month she experienced shortness of breath and some "funny little bloody noses." She had no symptoms of DVT's in her legs (pain or swelling). A doctor examined her on Wednesday and diagnosed "anxiety." On Thursday her nurse reassured me that the shortness of breath could definitely be caused by anxiety. Friday morning she collapsed in her dorm room. She turned blue. She was taken to the ER. She DIED eight hours later of massive pulmonary emboli.
Don't let this happen to you or someone you love. Know ALL the symptoms of blood clots in the legs OR in the lungs. These symptoms are buried in small print in the middle of the booklet. If you develop symptoms go to an ER IMMEDIATELY and insist on being checked for blood clots. Tell them you are on Yasmin. Do not accept the diagnosis of anxiety unless blood clots are ruled out. In addition, if you have a family history of blood clots be tested for clotting disorders BEFORE you start a birth control pill. She was my only daughter and my heart is broken. BE CAUTIOUS. We were falsely lured into a sense of safety because it was a "low dose" pill.

Hi Everybody, I wrote back in April about my horrible Yasmin experience, and just wanted to update. I've been off Yasmin for almost three cycles now, and although I'm still on blood pressure medication, I've had no headaches, no heart-pounding anxiety attacks, etc. I feel much better all around. Still, it makes me very angry that there are so many women who've had really bad experiences, and this garbage is STILL on the market. I checked the Yaz website, and in the fine print it says you can report your side effects to the FDA by logging on to www.fda.gov/medwatch, or calling 1-800-FDA-1088, SO LET'S DO IT!!!

I have been on Yasmin for 3 years and everything seemed to be going okay,skin was great,moods were good and all was going to plan..until 6 weeks ago. I decided to go off the pill to give my body a break,during this time i was extremely moody and caused my boyfriend and i to have huge arguments all the time. So i decided to go back on it for the sake of our 6 year relationship.So i was off for a month then went back on it. Within 2 weeks of going back on it i started to feel anxious over the smallest things and had several uncontrollable panic attacks at very inconvenient times. At first i thought i was just run down but it started to happen everyday,on the tram,in social situations and finally even at home.Over nothing worth stressing about! As my heart would race i thought id go to the doctor and was put on a 24 holter ecg monitor to see if we could 'catch' the palpitations so it could be treated with medication. Nothing showed up,my levels were great and he couldn't give me an answer. I just happened to search Yasmin on the internet and found this website..and thank god i did!!I have been loosing my mind! I feel as tough i am loosing my spirit and becoming something that i am not.i can't do anything without being worried itl happen again,making me a nervous wreck. As soon as i read this website i went straight off it and have been off it for 3 weeks and i has not been fun! The first week i felt a little better,but the last two weeks have been hell! I feel weak,shakey,paranoid,over-stimulated,cold and clammy and wake up everyday feeling depressed and nauseous.I feel like screaming.I can't do anything i used to,i was a mad high level basketballer,went out to dance every weekend and loved life generally.I went to a natropath and got put on magnesium and a mixture of herbs to help the nervous system and they seem to be doing nothing.I seriously need some help and have no idea what to do,i can't keep putting up with this,its just not me...someone please tell me that i gets better???I feel like an addict coming off heroin!

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 started taking Yasmin on Monday April 21st, and by Wednesday morning I wanted off of it. I started getting really bad leg cramps all the time, I feel dizzy all the time, I have trouble concentrating, and I have trouble breathing. The worst part is that I have heart palpitations now. My heart feels all butterfly-like or it feels like it's beating really slowly really hard. I just spoke with my doctor, and she says to stop taking it immediately.

After reading this website I see I'm not the only one affected by horrible side-effects from Yasmin.

I have been on Yasmin for approximately a year and a half. And I had nothing to complain about,... it did do it's job, up till recently. I always got severe headaches on one side of my head, and I just thought that was normal. Furthermore, I had noticed an increased heart rate for a while now... but having heart problems as a child, I thought that was normal. Then I had taken 2 pills at once the other day, thinking nothing of it, and an hour later my heart rate was approximately 148beats/min. That is completely abnormal! I have been reading some of these posts and other websites, and I've noticed some other people noticed this too. I was wondering if there was anyone else?

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.

Yasmin - Sudden Panic/Anxiety-

I have been on Yasmin for 7 years. I started a new box and pack 3 weeks ago and 72 hours later had what I thought was a "panic attack". I had never suffered panic or anxiety before and I am 32. Then, the chest pain and anxious feeling wouldn't go away (not normal with panic I hear). I went to the Dr and my bloodwork was all "great". I went to a cardiologist and they tested my heart. It was indeed beating "extra" so I had to be one a monitor. Still, the entire time I was miserable and wondering what the heck had happened to me. How could I go from being a normal, well adjusted women to a crazy lady in one day. I was crying and couldn't function, concentrate or eat. I felt like an "out of body" type of experience almost, like it wasn't really me who was feeling all this. Very disoriented feeling. Well, the Dr gave me anxiety pills and I was going to take them. But, in the meantime I went on the "sugar pills" of my Yasmin and guess what? 72 hours after I stopped the pills I felt normal again!!! I'm still not 100%, I'm 90%. Now I have no hard evidence that Yasmin caused this, particularly since I've been on it so long but I can't help wondering if they changed the dosages or something. I have NEVER experienced any level of anxiety or panic before this and going off the pills was the only thing I changed when I started feeling better. Sounds like more than a coincidence to me.

Has this happened to anyone else recently???

I am so happy to have found this site.... I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year. I had read side effects prior to taking it but had to be put on it due to the fact that all my life I have had an irregular period cycle. I figured that everyone was different so I started taking it. I did fine up until a few months ago. I started experiencing nausea and terrible chest & abdominal pain. They found out I had a bacterial infection so related it to that. But after that was cleared up I still had the problems... went to the ER who ran tons of tests... catscan, EKG, x-rays, blood work.. the whole thing, and everything came back 'normal'. Then I started experiencing anxiety and panic attacks... seemed like they always were in the evening making it very hard for me to fall asleep. I felt nervous all the time. Then I found this site and so many here have experienced everything I have. I immediately stopped taking yasmin and went into see my obgyn. Right now I am not taking anything until I get back to feeling like me again... I hear it takes a while for the pill to completely leave your system, does anyone know how long? I am starting to feel a little better, but still experiencing the same problems... just not as strong. The heart palps and chest pain, which makes me feel like I can't breath, scare me the most...

oh my god!! I have ALL of the same side effects as you do! The only strange thing is that I've been on this pill for 2 1/2 years now and I loved it up until this past week. I missed a pill on Fri so I took two on Saturday night...within 2 hours I was crying hysterically and having a full blow anxiety attack. it was so strange and scary. It came out of nowhere! then i woke up Sunday morning and cried every hour...I've never been like that in my entire life!!!! Now 4 days later my heart keeps "fluttering" (i don't know how else to describe it), I feel like i've been living in a fog...I thought i was going crazy! I am a 23 year old, healthy, active woman so none of my symptoms made sense!! My dr. keeps telling me that I have major anxiety problems (even though i live a very stress-free life and am very upbeat, outgoing and optimistic!) and prescribed me Lexapro. I have had a panic attack in the past, but it feels NOTHING like this. I am also having some inner ear problems, like I maybe have a sinus infection-it kind of pops in and out. anyone else have that? the heart thing and the fog is my biggest concern, should I switch pills or should I just get off BC completely? Any suggestions would help. I have a call into my obgyn right now.

I would just like to thank all who left posts on this page. You can not imagine the relief I feel that I am not going mad. I have been taking Yasim for about 4 years now. I have been getting very dizzy, been having heart palpitations, sweating, chills, panic attack like symptoms, feeling faint, blurry vision, feeling foggy in my head and lack of concentration. I have been to 4 doctors who ALL found nothing wrong with me. I spent 4 days in hospital with these symptoms and was told that I had vertigo. I am so annoyed that no doctor made the connection between Yasmin and my symptoms. I have wasted the last year of my life in a foggy haze over this pill.

Thanks... I no longer feel like I should be committed...

PS Does anyone know how long it takes to get this demon pill out of your system???

I'm 23 and I got prescribed Yasmin because I have PCOS, where I only got my period every 3-9 months (very irregular) where I suffered severe period pain and my period would go for about 8 days. The doctor thought regulating my period would decrease the pain, which it did. My period is around 3-4 days, very light and no pain since starting Yasmin. But I have had migraines weekly, constant headaches, usually starting with my vision going blurry and seeing flashing white light. I also lost my appetite for the first month, but have gained weight. I was going to the gym and exercising everyday and now I have no motivation to exercise at all, but feel bloated ALL the time. I have had trouble sleeping since taking it. I suffered from depression and anxiety attacks about 2 years ago, but since taking Yasmin I have been feeling very depressed and had several anxiety attacks, although the anxiety has only started after being on it for 4 months. After having another migraine this week and having to leave work for teh second time in 2 weeks, I decided I was going to stop taking it. (I had also had 3 anxiety attacks this week) since stopping I have instantly felt relaxed, no anxiety, and I no longer feel depressed.

After suffering all of this for 4 months, 8 day periods and 4 days of being in pain doesn't seem so bad. The depression and Anxiety is the scaries part as I haven't experienced it for so long, and don't want to!

Does anyone know how long it takes to be fully out of your system? I just want to get back to normal weight, moods, energy levels etc as soon as possible!

Where to start! I started Yasmin in Sept. of 2005. So I've been on it 2 and a half years. Things were fine for a while. It did what it was supposed to do, including no weight gain. That's how its been marketed here, so that's why i got it. Nothing has happened all of a sudden. Its all creeped up on me very slowly. Headaches, pressure in my sinuses, tiredness...all pretty simple. But here's the thing. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and put on Prozac. The Prozac didnt help. I came off it. Now here's the more troubling symptoms I've experienced. Heart Palpitations, squeezing in my chest making it hard to breathe, increased fear and anxiety (which cause heart attack-like symptoms which can more commonly be described as a panic attack). I've had my finger on the 911 buttons several times in the last 8 months. Now I'm discovering the joy of incontinence. Do you have any idea what its like to be in the store buying groceries and then all of a sudden there's a puddle of number 2 around your shoe? I do. I'm 23. Abdominal pain, stomach distension, constipation followed by diarrhea. Hair loss. Cold feet. LOSS OF SEXUAL DRIVE! My God!

I've said all this to my doctor. He ran blood for everything, there's nothing wrong with me medically. X-rays, mri's, cat scans, ekg's. Nothing nothing nothing. I changed doctors and told the new doctor my story. He figures that because i was put on Prozac for depression, that I must have developed Hypochondria (aka extreme paranoia and a belief that I'm terminally ill). Not true, I know its not terminal, i just need to be put on a new pill. My husband and I have regular sex, he's allergic to latex, and even those non-latex condoms. We're not ready for babies yet, so I dont know what to do. But if this helps someone else, then taking the time to write this was worth it. And as a side note, if you're on the pill and have the choice, and your doc wants to put you on prozac...Don't do it. Try switching your pill first.

Hi all, I was on Yasmin for close to two years until I had heart palpitations that prompted me to get off of it immediately. I also dealt with many side effects mentioned in other posts, but my heart condition was a scary wake-up call. I am still dealing with the heart palps after being off of it for over a month.

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

My husband just flushed my pills last night... I just started my fifth pack. He said - and I agree - that I became terribly depressed, anxious and bitchy. I'd be fine one moment, and lashing out for no reason the next. Or sit on the kitchen floor and cry my heart out. Add to it feeling very sad most of the time and extremely irritable.

I was given this pill as all the others I have tried caused me to feel suicidal and very angry so I start on this pill and feel great no symptoms for about 2 months it gets rid of my spots and bad p.m.t but all of a sudden I start to feel run down and have headaches this then becomes sinusitis I think I'm over the worst and iv just had a virus but not long after the palpations begin and I panic they get worse and they become very fast and I don't even want to get up as it sets my heart to race it is noticeable even when still and I went to a&e one night even had an ambulance out as I thought I was dieing it was so fast, but the medics couldnt find nothing wrong I had thyroid tests at g.ps and then it was said I should go on anti depressants which seemed to work a little but I was very ill four a good 4 months I mean I was in turmoil I didn't know what was wrong with me I felt like I couldest breath I was dizzy all time I had the worst ringing in my ears all the time (very hard to sleep with this) but slowly started to feel better, but I couldnt stand the repeat attacks of sinusitis and my ears are always blocked I have stopped taking Yasmin a few days a go and I hope I start to feel better soon but I am very angry that this is going un heard by our medical pros as its there job to learn about these things, I hope we all get over this and get this drug banned.

I was on it for five months and stopped to prepare for pregnancy. I started immediately experiencing the following: vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, nausea, depression, hair loss, weight gain, heavy periods, stomach cramps, vaginal odor, mood swings, panic attacks, heart palpitations, neck pain. I am so blessed that my husband did not leave me!

Ladies, I feel like an intruder for being the only male posting a comment on this site. But the thing is, I'm desperate. My girlfriend began taking Yasmin this beginning of this year, and i believe it's one of the main reasons I'm seriously considering ending a 3yr relationship. Since she began using Y, she's become a different person - a lot more emotionally unstable, and sorry to say quite self-absorbed. Her sex drive is almost non-existent, but that's not the hard part tho. It's the fact that when i hold her tight she often doesn't even put her arms around me, physical affection has decreased so much I often find myself thanking her when she touches me......when did it become an effort to show love?
She's become very distant on more than one level, and i swear she doesn't wanna be with me anymore but just too scared to break my heart.

I have suggested that this pill could be the cause of loss of her libido (can you imagine a guy addressing this issue with his gf), but she denied the possibility. I've done a fair amount of research and I can't believe how many women this so-called miracle drug is affecting them in these ways.

She's honestly the love of my life, the only girl I want but not the person she is now. I've never allowed myself to become dependent on a woman to make me happy, but I'm very weak for her. I've spoken to her about my feelings a number of times but things are not improving.

Any advice for a hopeless fool would be much appreciated.
Thanks for reading

My daughter was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as she wasn't getting her periods, and her testosterone was high (she is only 15). She is also developing dark facial and body hair. The endocrinologist put her on Yasmin because it has the least male androgens and should stop the hair growth and felt it was the best choice for her. He said that our goal is to preserve her fertility and stop the hair growth.

We started her on a quarter of a pill and will increase it over the next couple of weeks, due to the fact that a year ago she had to take bc pills for a couple of months to stop her flow (it went on for 8 weeks and was very heavy)... Everything she tried then made her sick. So we were concerned about that again. Unfortunately, she is having a terrible time with Yasmin, even at a quarter of a pill. She is taking it with her dinner, and still, it is making her sick to her stomach. She is lethargic, extremely emotional, nauseous (she even vomited at 4:00 this morning), bowel problems, very anxious, no appetite... and this is after a week of being on it. She is also having heart palps at night when she is in bed. I spoke with her doctor and he suggested we stick with it and her body should adjust with time. He feels that we don't have a lot of options with different pills because of the male androgens and the hair growth... Anyone have any suggestions?? I don't know how much longer we should stay with this... she has missed so much school because of this already and she looks awful. Thanks....

I have been taking this for 3 days and I am a little worried. My legs feel kind of tingly and sore (started about an hour after i took the 1st pill). I am not swollen or anything...this is pretty much my only side effect, but I can't get a hold of my obgyn to ask her about it, since I have to wait 2 months to get an appointment with her...I dunno. The leg cramps can't be a blood clot this soon? This site is really worrying me now.

It is not a shooting pain like they say in the pamphlet Warning Signs, just kind of a dull pain. I had a lot of leg cramps as a child and this feels just like it, but more mild.

I just want to say that I was on YAZ for 1 1/2 years and I had absolutely no problems with it. In fact, YAZ was one of two birth control pills that I was on that didn't make me sick, out of five. Yes, sometimes I have anxiety, I'm depressed, bitchy, etc, but it is because I am Bi-polar and have been diagnosed for years now. I hate to sound insensitive, but maybe some of you ladies are just crazy like me. Also, birth control pills pump hormones into your body, and hello, what do hormones do... they can make us a little irrational, bitchy, depressed, etc. YAZ is not that much different than any other birth control.

I just went on Yasmin, because my insurance covers it better than YAZ. I will keep everyone posted, but I'm not too worried.

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

heart palpataions, tachacardia, aggressive mood swings

Guest 37166-

I would recommend getting off of Yasmin right away. As soon as possible. And I'll tell any woman here that message. It does horrible, horrible things to your body and if you had the time to sort through all the msgs. here and on the other website, the regularity of your cycle is the least thing to be worried about. Women have died from stokes, suffered from pulmonary embolisms, fatigue, heart palps...brain lesions appears to be the newest on the actual forum page (see link at top of page) as well as one women who end up in ER for pulmonary thrombosis!

@ ipj:

Did you have any other symptoms caused by that magnesium deficiency?? Would be so interesting to hear, if you also had cramps in your legs or so. I always wonder, if those cramps HAVE TO BE THERE, if you have a lack of magnesium or if it even can be shown alone by all the other symptoms (nervousness, heart palps, dizzyness, headaches, etc.)...

Best wishes
Silke

Guest 36835-

Yasmin's diuretic is a potassium sparing diuretic. That's the difference. What that means is that while it flushes out fluids, it spares potassium-thus the risk of high potassium-and hyperkalemia a potentially fatal state!

To your question on research, as electrolytes get out of balance, so does muscle control. IE the number of women here who have suffered muscle twitchs from toe/feet to heart. In particular when the balance of magnesium and calcium is off-set, one experiences murmurs and muscle flacidity!

So have your magnesium, potassium and calcium levels checked pronto!

im so confused because i thought yasmin could increase your potassium but if you read about diretics it seems to lower your potassium either way potassium being to high or low causes alot of symptoms but it seems to be low potassium causes heart arithmias and muscle and nerve disorders has anyone done any research on this?????????/

TO GUEST 36372,
Your post really annoyed me. I am sorry that you find the new forum annoying but you know what this is the only website that has helped me. When I found this website I was just about ready to end my life. If it was not for these woman on here telling their stories I would have thought I was just going plain crazy. There is a BIG difference between side effects of a medication and a whole life altering experience, which for us is what it was. A horrible experience. People on this site are going above and beyond to help each other out. If you are looking for just side effects well go search somewhere else if we are Annoying you so much. And just so you know that is why Sarah started the forum, so we can still be there for each other without annoying petty people like you. YOu make me ill after reading all of our post and having the nerve to say we are annoying. Maybe I am being rude right now but personally I don't care, you didn't have to attack people that are just here supporting each other. I hope for you, you don't have to ever encounter what we are going through. Because any person that was, would not sit there and call us annoying or have a problem with our conversations. Sarah is not advertising anything or making money from this. She is doing this from the bottom of her heart. On the lighter side maybe I am starting to feel better because your post really irritated me and for the first time in awhile I actually felt like speaking my mind like I use too. Well thanks for that.

VOICESI, FLOWERBABIES, SILKE and all the women who have suffered or are presently suffering:

I've been off of Yasmin now for almost 3 months. I've noticed that several people experienced a heaviness in the chest and chest pain? Can all of you say that? My chest pains started in May of this last year. i went off of Yasmin in August. They come and go now, less so, but especially around or just before the on-set of my menstual cycle. Do you know what this could be caused by? I had an EKG and the RN confirmed that I had a slight murmur but that that was not something to be concerned with. There are times at night while I am lying down that my chest feels very heavy, like I can't take full breaths. Is this normal? Does this go away and if so when?

I am between jobs so I only have major medical and I don't want to be panicked about this or rack up more medical bills which I can't afford on this plan or in my current financial state but I wanted to see how common actual chest pain is among users former/current? What is it caused from? It started on the left side in May. Than in July radiated across my chest (felt like it was coming from underneath my breast bone and now when It comes its mostly on my left side. Is that where the heart is or is that rumor?

How and what is the best method to replenish the body after 2.5 years on Yasmin? I've never been fond or responded well to taking vitamins however I've been sick now for all of September and October, two weeks in November and again now for the last week! Alot of chest congestion, stuffed up sinuses and a cough. Sometimes headache. Is getting sick like this for months afterwards common as well?

Unlike many women here, I can't say I experienced anxiety on Yasmin. The prescribing Doctor actually recommended it for anxiety. It helped that enormously however I was in a "fog" alot-tired. They recommended taking it at night and I am now afraid that perhaps the slowing of the heart it created, on top of sleeping and an already tremendously low blood and pulse rate put me at risk otherwise?

I am presently on Orthocept but afraid of going off of it because of the emotional upheaval in the midst of having just moved back across country, looking for full time work.

After reading through so many of these writings now for the last couple of months, I'm absolutely astounded by how many problems women are experiencing. And it is being so heavily advertised I'm sure there are so many more women out there, starting it every day. I see their writings here just starting it...and I just think, this is crazy.

I'm struggling with how to be healthy now and be off of BCP's and stay away from the anti-anxieties and otherwise because my body is so sensitive I've just had so little tolerance for any of them.

HAS ANYONE BEEN ON YASMIN AND GOTTEN OFF IT AND GOTTEN PREGNANT? I'M 37 TOMORROW AND WONDERING HOW SYNTHETIC HORMONES AND ALL THE SYMPTOMS THIS PILL IS CAUSING-HOW IT COULD EFFECT OR IS AFFECTING THE POSSIBILITY FOR PREGNANCY AND HEALTH OF BABIES!!!

HAS ANYONE REPORTED THEIR SYMPTOMS TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY AND IF SO, WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESULT?

Many thanks in advance,
Jasmine

thank god for all of you i was on yasmin for almost 2 years and in sept. of 06 i had heart palpataions then came the panic attacks then came the dizziness, foggy head like as if i was not connected to my body, sweating then freezing , my ears are muffled with strange sounds it has been a nitemare i have been off 8 weeks and s...l..........o....w.............l...y starting to feel a little better i am nervous about the long term effects of this pill and i am disgusted at the medical community for not only not listening but not being aware i had mri,eeg,ent,blood work no answers when i told my gyn she told me its not the pill and tested me for lyme ignorance!!! there has got to be something we can do

Severe anxiety heart racing pulse racing weight loss

Wow. I am glad I'm not going crazy because I thought I was!

I stopped taking yasmin for 2 weeks just to detox my body of any meds at all...and i felt great! lots of energy, endurance, great mood...and then...i tried going back on this sunday.

this week i've had 2 panic attacks, heart papiltations, dry mouth, constant urination, lack of focus, no energy, emotional instability. my hair came out in clumps on tuesday!

i threw these in the trash last night. stay away!

my daughter is 16 and was diagnosed with pcos(polycystic ovarian syndrome), and was prescribed Yasmin. She's only on it 4 days, but today she had an anxiety attack(which she never had before), and then she broke out into a sweat and her heart was racing. The side effects do n ot list any of those symptoms. Did anyone have the symptoms I just mentioned? ALso, did anyone ever gegt treated for pcos without birth controL? Thanks for your help. Please email me at Thirteengreen@aol.com

Thanks!!!