Yasmin and heart palpitations

For the last 4 years --I have been on Yasmin. I stopped taking this pill a couple of month ago and could not be more relieved. I say this because during that time I had severe heart palpitations and anxiety attacks. They were so severe sometimes I would cry because I was so scared I was going to have a heart attack. A couple of years ago I went to a Cardiologist and told him about my heart racing, skipping a beat, and or course the constant never-ending heart palpitations. I took a stress exam, Ekg...etc all those test need to find the problem. They came up with nothing and basically said it was stress and anxiety. The Dr. gave me pills for anxiety and pill to slow my heart rate..which looking back was a joke!! Because it was really from Yasmin.I am so much better and happy to know that I was not just going crazy ..because that is how I truly felt. I was only on this medication because I too have ovarian cysts. I am too scared to go on any other birth control pill now. So if anyone out there is on this medication and has these symptoms..please stop this medication and know that you are not crazy. There are so many of us out there that have had these symptoms.Now I have to go to the Dr. and find out if there are any permanent damages to to any part of my organs.. so upset with this company and drug.

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've been on Yasmin for about 5-6 years and have had all sorts of minor (or so I thought) ailments. My boss advised me to stop Yasmin as her daughter died at 28 from a DVT, put down to Dianette and she explained about these forums. After reading this forum, nearly every problem/ailment I've had or have is listed as a side effect of this bloody little white tablet. I am officially stopping it as of today and as I've just read another lady has written, I hope my sex drive returns soon and that I stop being so tired and lethargic and my crippling migraines stop !! I've had heart palpitations, weight gain (gradual so I've not put it down to the pill !) I have down days, migraines complete with auras, fuzzy heads, short tempered and narky, tired ALL the time. I never knew all these things could be down to the pill. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that coming off it makes me feel human again !!

Wow, I never thought that some of the health problems I experienced in the past few years was related to Yasmin until I read this website. I had been on Yasmin for 5 years, I just went off of it in late August as my husband and I would like to have children next year. I found this website because I wanted to know what sort of side effects I would get by going OFF the pill. Well, let me tell you, by being ON Yasmin for 5 years, I experienced the following:

-major migraines (never experienced these - 4 were blinding where i had to just lay down because i couldn't hold my head up)
-weight gain (a lot of weight, for virtually no reason)
-shortness of breath (when i've never had that before)
-high blood pressure (when i've never had that before)
-heart palpitations (when i've never had that before)
-anxious feelings, especially in work situations
-loss of energy - inability to work out for no real reason

i am 31 years old with no health problems before going on Yasmin. now that i have been off it for almost 2 months, i feel 10x better both physically and mentally! i hope to lose the weight i gained while on Yasmin. i just got my blood pressure taken this past weekend it was normal-low. the last 2 times i had it taken while i was on Yasmin, it was high.

if you are taking this pill, please go off of it ASAP. Tell your friends not to take it as well.

I am so glad I found this website.

After 2 years of being on Yasmin/Ocella, I have realized that my symptoms were entirely from this horrible drug.

Symptoms I experienced on Yasmin/Ocella:

-HEARTBURN! I had to have an endoscopy to determine the damage caused to my esophagus, and was on hard core antacid drugs for months.

-UTIs!! I suffered from a UTI pretty much every time my fiance and I had sex, and my Gyno referred me to a urologist. Mind, I had NEVER suffered from these frequently in any other time in my life.

-Strange heart beats - heart skipped a beat often.

-Anxiety, to the point of dysfunction.

-Back aches, kidney infections.

-Bladder infections.

-Depression - for instance, lying in bed for hours after my alarm went off, not wanting to get up.

-NO sex drive. NONE.

TAKE THIS DRUG OFF THE MARKET.

Hi,
I am turning 22 in 3 months and have been on Yasmin for almost 5 years.
I can relate to almost all side effects listed on this site. I'm so glad I found this site now because I decided to stop taking Yasmin about a week ago. I just want to see how I fair without it.

While on Yasmin I was fine until the third year. I started experiencing severe anxiety, heart palpitations, severe mood swings. Small things infuriate me which normally never do. My skin is better but I experienced getting weird pimples that do not surface but cause deep scarring even if I do not fiddle with them. Also, I am about 5'2 and my pre Yasmin weight was 47 to 49 kg. I now weigh 53 to 55 kg so the equivalent gain of about 10 pounds in less than a year and it just keeps climbing. None of my clothes fit and this happened rapidly within a spce of 3 months. This is a lot for me as I am small in frame.The gain keeps on building around my stomach area and looks asif I am permanently bloated. IBS has been quite bad since Yasmin also.
I had a lot of suicide thoughts and feel lonely all the time. I would cry for no reason at all. For a while now I have been sooo tired and have energy for nothing. I cannot get out of bed in the morning and could easily sleep the entire day. Pre-Yasmin I would wake up at 7 every morning with no alarm and be wide awake! I used to have cool dreams, now I only have the occasional nightmare, and thats if I dream at all.
The worst was when I experienced SEVERE bloating on my stomach and strange ovary pains.(i looked asif i was 4 months preg) I had ultrasounds and x rays but they found nothing.
I was a BITCH with NO sex drive.
After a week without Yasmin, My sex drive has started creeping back and don't feel as bloated. Hopefully the weight will drop away soon as well.
Will post back here in a month.
Thank God for this site. I thought this pill was supposed to be a miracle. It is CRAP. I hope I don't need to go back on any form of birth control. I'm too scared now!

I am a 36 year old women that decided to start taking birth control for the 1st time in my life which was on aug. 1st. I decided this after having my last of 3 kids. my ob doctor prescribed me Yasmin, but I filled the ocella a generic of Yasmin. I was at first concerned a little bit about taking birth control due to my age. But my ob told me that if I smoked than there could be risks of the side effects of birth control. I do not smoke, drink, or eat badly.I used to drink coffee everyday, but stopped because of the b.c. effects. I am not overweight with no other health conditions, except now!!! I don't exercise much or sleep much because of taking care of the baby. I do stress and have anxiety at times. I have had a few mild heart palpitations in my lifetime that occurred at work.
I have never experienced so many and strong HEART PALPITATIONS until I was on the pill. I started experiencing them about 2 weeks after starting the pill they occurred about 3 to 6 times a day about 4 to 5 days in a row. I continued for another few days just to make sure, but still had HEART PALPS. I stopped taking the pill. on aug 17th. I was also more moody and felt like I had pressure in my head at times. I than got concerned and decided to take my blood pressure on aug 31st.which was at 133/88. I said to myself that i have elevated blood pressure that i never had before. I started to worry because i never had HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. My BLOOD PRESSURE started to raise every day and reached 182/101. I was was so worried and stressed over this, because i know I did not have HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE before. I called my ob to find out my blood pressure before i started the pill and on july 27th it was 120/64 a great and healthy blood pressure. on Sept. 5th I went to urgent care they gave me a clonidine 0.1 to lower my bp when i reached 182/101. and did an ekg which was fine. my pulse if fine. They gave me lisinopril 10 mg to help if my blood pressure continued to be high. I did start it because if was like 172/96 which was close to this # everyday.It is helping a little. My pressure ranges from 128/80's to 156/90's. usually the 2nd #. It's rare that it hits lower. started meds on sept. 6th. I don't have any heart palps since about 3 days ago, which was 11th. but still have hbp. my primary dr does not think it could be my birth control, especially with being on for only 2 & 1/2 weeks. I'm pending blood tests right now. and my dr. thinks it could be my thyroid causing palps and hbp. my dr does not seem to think bc's can raise hbp. I read the package insert of bc's and read on internet it can. I felt completely healthy 1 month ago. and had excellent blood pressure.

I have been on Yasmin for 2 years now. It is the only BC I have ever been on and have LOVED it up until about 3 months ago. All of a sudden I started having heart palpitations, sever chest pains, extreme fatigue, very bloated in my stomach, low sex drive, pain and tingling in my arms and legs,dizziness, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, weight gain and major mood swings! I went to the DR and they did an EKG (which was normal) Tested my blood (I now have a thyroid problem that I have never had before) and they did an ultrasound (Dr that I may have a murmur) on my heart and the results came back fine. So the DR prescribed me Synthroid for the thyroid problem and the DR said that should help me gain my energy back, loose some weight and would take care of the heart palpitations. The other symptoms he contributed to Stress (Panic Attacks) I have been on Synthroid for 5 weeks now and I don't feel any better in fact I feel worse!

This morning I seen a commercial for a lawsuit against Yaz or Yasmin. Well since I am non Yasmin I immediately did a search and came across this site. I have literally been sitting here all night reading all the comments from different women and now know what my problem is. My problem is YASMIN! I am not taking this anymore and have an appt with my Dr tomorrow to have them do whatever they need to do to see if I have any blockage or any other damage from using this pill. My chest pains and the tightness in my chest are so severe that it takes my breath away and I am only 24! I am not ready for children and don't want to deal with bad periods like I had before getting on the pill but I can not take this rise. PLEASE if you are on Yasmin please stop taking it immediately and call your doctor Your life could depend on it!! I am hoping like other people who have commented that after a few weeks of being off the pill that I will feel so much better. I hope I am getting off of it in time before I have done any further damage.

I am a Registered Nurse and feel foolish that I wasn't able to connect the dots sooner. Yasmin's effects for me were insidious thereby slipping under the radar as the culprit responsible for all of the side effects I was experiencing. On Yasmin for 3 years:

- feelings of shortness of breath
- heart palpitations
- horrible anxiety and feelings of panic (not good when you're a nurse in the
ICU)
- insomnia (never had trouble sleeping before)
- varicose veins on my stomach??!!
- strange weight gain around my abdomen I could not lose despite my best
efforts
- ear popping and a feeling of fullness in my head
- constant runny nose requiring new prescriptions for nasal sprays and
allergy pills that did not work
- new abdominal bloating (ultrasound was negative)
- UTI (never had one of those before)
- strange colored periods
- agoraphobia (previously outgoing)
- depressed--lost interest in things I previously enjoyed, moody & angry,
- horrible fatigue (unable to jog anymore without becoming drained for days
- sharp debilitating headaches (CT negative)
- breast pain
- cellulite I've never had before
- and last but not least, compromised circulation to my right arm causing it
to go numb and change in color (Doppler showed partial arterial
obstruction that has since improved since quitting Yasmin)

Quit Yasmin 2 1/2 months ago and everything is resolving itself slowly. A big price to pay for good skin.

I took Yasmin for years and was perfectly normal and totally functional. The pharmacy automatically switched me to Ocella last fall. I was ok up until around this past March. I have experienced extreme heart palpitations, horrible panic attacks and my very favorite has been the excruciating back and abdominal muscle pain (I'm on a heating pad every night for 4 hours). I feel like death. Have been to every doctor and have had every test done (cardiologist, family, obgyn, etc.) - I'm just plain crazy according to them!!! I'm 39, have 2 kids and a husband, teach school full time and I'm convinced I won't live to see 45. I have been starting to see commercials about lawsuits against Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. I think the pill I took this morning is the last Ocella I'm ever going to swallow. Has anyone else experienced any of these symptoms?

Wow. Not sure what to think here. I was in the ER today with heart palpitations and chest pain - really bad pain. . . thought I was having a heart attack. Mine started low sort of in the stomach and worked it's way up and settled in my chest. I could breathe but the pain was overwhelming. I sat on my yoga mat in the park took a few pepto tablets, called the Dr. and after almost an hour of pushing on my diaphram and trying to breathe and ease the pain I had to get help. Guess what - like most of you I'm extremely healthy. The EKG, stomach and chest x-rays and blood work (all done today) are fine. And I've been on Yasmin for too many years to count. This is not the first time I've had tightness in my chest or palpitations. One night I thought my heart was coming through my chest for hours on end I sat straight up out of bed and went to the ER the next morning on the advice of my allergist. Again all was fine. I always thought it was some "allergic" reaction to some other test I'd had done with a reaction to dye or some other medical interaction since I tend to be allergic to many things and get allergy shots. This really makes me think about getting off this pill, and I just happened to stumble onto this when I typed "chest pain" in as part of my search. It has been less obvious for me since this has happened infrequently but twice now in a few weeks. And it is rather frightening. Best of luck to all - thanks for the posts.

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

OMG!!! This is crazy! I was put on Yaz continuously to help with my heavy painful periods. About 3 days after starting it I went for some allergy testing. That night I started itching like crazy...all over my body. The next day I called the allergist to ask if this was a normal response and he told me that it wasn't from the testing and to take some Benadryl. The next day I started having these massive heart palpitations and feeling like I was going to pass out...still itching non-stop. This went on for a week until I finally called my GYN's office to see if it was possible that the pill could be causing this. They told me to stop it immediately as I could be having an allergic reaction. Within days of stopping the pill I was symptom free! Out of curiosity and desperation for relief of some of my period symptoms...I waited a cycle and started YAZ again. I have now been on it about a month. 2 weeks into it...the itching started again...but not as bad,..but now the heart palpitations are back...and worse! Yesterday my heart rate was 138 and lasted for a good 10 minutes. I have an appt, to see my primary in 2 days to just get checked and make sure that nothing else is going on. I can't believe that you all are experiencing this...I'm opting for the IUD now. Good Luck to all of you!

I was on Yasmin for two years. I loved it because there was no more acne, no more heavy periods, or cramps. Back in February I had an episode of dizziness and my heart racing. I was taken to the ER and nothing was wrong except low potassium. About a month ago I started having the same symptoms again. My doctor took me off of Yasmin two weeks ago and I am still having symptoms. I am currently being evaluated by a cardiologist due to chest pain, heart palpitations, and fast heart rate. I feel so bad and I have no energy. I am usually bubbly and full of life. Does anyone know how long it takes for this medication to get out of your system and feeling back to normal again?

I have been on Yasmin for two and a half months now. It was prescribed to me by my doctor as a means of treating 2 cyst that developed because of my endometriosis as a means of avoiding surgery. He put me on it for 3 months but because I forgot to start the second pack for 2 weeks I had to start the 3 month period all over. The first month I took Yasmin the side effects were minimal but since I started taking it in May I have gotten a constant vaginal itch and pain, my eye sight is blurry, stomach feels sick and I get stomach pains, neck pains, shoulder pains, leg pains and hip pains, pains in my face, little or no lubrication during intercourse, constantly have to urinate, stomach feels like its tightening and has gotten really big, gets short of breathe easily, bad headaches, I feel as though I would pass out any minute when I am standing or walking, I am disinterested in everything, I get nausea, I have lost all interest in sex, I feel bloated all the time, I have lost all taste in my mouth, feels very tired and fatigued all the time, I feel very sad for no reason. I keep feeling sick all the time and have lost interest in food. When I am sitting I feel the pains in my legs and hip even more. I am falling into a state of depression and it is beginning to show at work. I am also gaining a lot of weight, rapidly, and really don't know what to do about it because I am very careful with the things I eat, how they are cooked and the time I eat also and I do exercise. I really don't know if I should continue until I finish the 3 months to see if it works for me or if I should stop taking the Yasmin and ask my doctor to try something else. I just don't feel altogether right now.

Just an update. I was having heart palpitations after about 2 weeks on Yasmin. I stopped it, have been off now for nearly 2 weeks and feel fine.

I am glad to have found this information after deciding to google Yasmin and heart palpitations. I started having palpitations last night (I had them years ago when I was having anxiety attacks but not since and I am not under any stress right now). I just started taking Yasmin less than two weeks ago and will not be taking it any more (I started it for PMDD). I have also noticed pain in my right breast and I was on the verge of a bladder infection a few days ago since I did not drink enough water for a few hours (I have only had one bladder infection in my life and that was after delivering my third child and having a catheter). I have also had blurred vision twice since I started it (I have experienced that before but very, very sporadically - not 2 episodes within days, I have migraines and my dr. thinks the blurred vision is somehow related). I had chest pain for 2 days, granted, it happened after a tough workout, but that is still unusual for me. I've always had pluses and minuses with any form of bcp, but these cons don't outweigh the pros (which I have not experienced yet anyway).

Like many of you here... i am extremely happy to have found this website. I have been on Yasmin for about 5 years (frightening!!) and not until yesterday did i realize that all of the peculiar things that have been happening to my body must be connected to this pill. Let's start with the weight gain...

I am 5'9" and have always weighed about 128-132 lbs... As soon as i started taking the pill i jumped up to 138lbs and then over the course of 2-3 years peaked at 160 lbs!! I have struggled to lose that weight for years, exercising daily (with a trainer and also running, doing bikram yoga etc) and eating immaculately (under the supervision of one of New York's best nutritionists..) the result?? not much! i have struggled to lose 10 lbs and have remained at this weight (around 150 ) for about a year!! no matter how many crunches i do, laps i run, and vegetables/ salmon i eat my tummy and midsection is flabby, bloated etc. and i can't shake this weight

next up... i am always tired but yet have trouble sleeping... lie awake at night clutching my chest thinking i'm having a heart attack. fluttering heart/ palpitations etc. they always pass but i thought i was mad until i came across this site.

phantom leg pains... i have inexplicable cramps in my lower legs... thought they were blood clots. have been to see about 20 doctors... all over the world... been tested for blood clots w/ ultrasound, been tested for nerve damage, muscle damage, bone density issues... you name it. even went down the whole eastern medicine, acupuncture route... NOTHING!! nobody can diagnose it or even locate any issue.

these pains also wake me in the night.

last, but not least, i develop hyperpigmentation when i expose my face to the sun... basically looks like a have a moustache b/c my skin darkens... i know this is normal for any birth control/ hormone pill but figured i'd throw it in anyway! also noticed hair on my lip/ sideburns which i promptly removed with laser but i'm now thinking might have been from the Yasmin.

i am midway through a packet but as of today i am stopping. praying that the weight will fall off and the weird aches and pains and imaginary heart attacks will stop.

thank you all for your posts and good luck! does anyone have any updates as to their progress since getting off it??? i promise to post an update in a few months to hopefully help anyone with similar issues!!

all the best!
GM

Hi my name is Ari. I'm 20. About a month ago an on-call gyno prescribed me YAZ. For the 2 weeks I was taking it I felt like my brain was up my butt. I was anxious and easily agitated. I was with one of my friends 3 Fridays ago and I got these random heart palpitations. I had no idea what was going on bso I had to have my friend rush me to the ER. By the time I got there my heart rate was at 127 bpm. The nurses and doctors told me it wasn't the pill, it was anxiety. They gave me some shrinks numbers and told me I needed therapy... I say horseshit. That's never happened to me before. I'm quite the happy kid and I'm not depressed. Needless to say, I stopped taking it that night. For the next week I still had random heart palpitations. I was trying to shop for a new cel phone with my bf and my heart started racing again. For no reason. I waited for another week to see if they would stop and it didn't. I went to a PCP and she told me the same thing. She didn't even give me a chance to explain to her what had happened. She just said I was stressed and go see a shrink.

Please somebody help me. These heart palpitations aren't stopping and its been over 2 weeks that I haven't taken YAZ. I'm in the process of finding an endocrinologist to see which of my glans this medicine messed up. I even tried to get a hold of my OBGYN and twice, the receptionists told me if I stopped taking it and I got my period then the drug is out of my system... not too comforting considering they're not a doctor. Not only that but they wouldn't let me talk to my doctor! Coffee, tea and marijuana make the heart palpitations worse (I smoke occasionally). I can't exercise either without my heart racing uncontrollably. I would greatly appreciate someones help. =)

I am 22 years old and have tried four different birth controls in the past 5 years. Less than two weeks ago I started taking Yasmin and stopped taking it yesterday. Three days into the pack I began having heart palpitations. They would come and go. Some days one or two, other days none. Yesterday alone I had 35 heart palpitations, and was at the doctor today. They told me to stop taking these pills immediately. I've never experienced side effects like this with any other pill, nor have I ever had any heart problems. The pill is different for everyone... but I will stay far far away from Yasmin.

I am a 30 year old nurse and know first hand how birth control pills are individual. I was on many before Yasmin. 6 months ago I started Yasmin because it was the new hype in birth control medicine since it reduces length of period, flow of period, and reduces acne.
I don't think the ingredient drospirenone that's included in Yasmin (a potassium sparing drug, and diuretic, another form of the same type is Spironolactone) works for me.
Ever since I had experienced these symptoms:
Anxiety-heart palpitations, suspiciousness, racing thoughts.
Headaches-tension, leading to muscle spasms in neck and shoulders.
Dizziness-Vertigo type spinning sensations
Ear fullness-popping and cracking without losing hearing.
Fatigue-no motivation, especially for an early riser and a person who works 12 hr shifts.
Chest tightness, lump in throat feeling, could be due to increase in stomach acid (HCl).
If anyone else has vertigo, or dizziness, I would love to know!
Thanks,
Good luck with trying a different form of birth control.

My daughter was 16 when her GYN started her on Yaz. She was 5 ft 3 and 100 lbs. Non smoker. No risks. She went on the pill because she was having heart palpitations and extreme fatigue that correlated with her menstrual cycle. The idea was to level her hormones and see if that would level off the physical problems. Within 6 weeks she suffered from a pulmonary embolism. Because she was young, everybody though it was just pneumonia or inflammation of the lining of the lungs (pleurisy). Then her leg swelled up and turned blue from a clot (DVT). I found it fascinating that everybody at the first hospital, during the helicopter ride and at the second hospital all had EXACTLY the same reaction . . . They all said, "you just started taking the pill, didn't you? Probably one of the new ones like Yaz." Apparently, these new 'third generation' pills are worse than the old ones when it comes to clots. It turns out that my hubby's history of blood clots should have been a clue that my daughter has a common clotting disorder and YAZ triggered it into action. The clotting disorder affects up to 10% of Swedes and that is where my hubby's family comes from. Up to 5% of all Caucasians in the United States have Factor V Leiden as well. I notified the FDA and highly encourage everybody else to do so as well. The doctor are not required to file a report unless a patient dies. My daughter is doing better now. If any reporters are reading this, please contact me. B. A. ***** If you have ANY family history of problems that might be due to clots, avoid the third generation pills.

I took Yasmin for 5 months. I was sick while on it and decided to go off of it. My doctor said that it was not the pill, but as I got sicker she agreed I should go off of it. Within days I was in the hospital and for three years I suffered deteriorating health until we found that Yasmin had lowered my serum b12 very much and that deficiency will progressively cause many severe health problems. I also had low vitamin D and low protein c antigen which left me at higher risk of clotting. My symptoms: heacd aches, stomach problems, all digestion problems, swelling and weight gain, severe blood clots during menses, burning stomach, joint pain, heart palpitations, irregular heart beat, feeling cold at times, low body temperature, low blood pressure, confused thoughts, depression, low libido, as I got worse I also developed numb left leg and foot, numb hands and breathing irregularities during night time. I also suffered a miscarriage due to the b12 deficiency which was undiagnosed, because the fetus could not assimilate folic acid without enough b12 in my body.

I found an Endocrinologist that listened to me and he ruled out all hormonal issues and found the low serum b12, vitamin d, low protein c antigen. He then recommended me to a cardiologist who said I had a slight mitral valve prolapse something I had never had, which he felt had become symptomatic due to the severe health crisis. I saw an gastroenterologist, because I had taken Yasmin with Advil and it is contraindicated, but I was never told that. I saw a hematologist, who said my blood issues very hard to explain and after a year and seeing my medical record for years prior to Yasmin told me it seemed things changed after I took it. I am now in good health, but it took me 3 painful years to get here. I also got acupuncture to ease my symptoms.

Good luck to all of you! I have found out that in the US their is some work currently to bring litigation forward.

I have been on Yasmin since April of this year, 2008. My doctor put me on Yasmin because of a hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS. At first, all I noticed was my periods had become regular and my skin had cleared up. About 4-6 weeks later, I started experiencing EXTREME pain in my right breast. After the onset of the pain, just my right breast became enlarged. A few weeks later I started having chest/heart pains at random times. It started occurring when I would run and that made me really scared. I had the feeling of having a heavy rock on my chest and wasn't able to get a real breath. After an EKG my doctor confirmed that my heart was healthy. Here is a list of some of the other side effects that I noticed: no sex drive, weight gain, TIREDNESS, forgetfulness, cramps in my legs, but only while sleeping, extreme thirst.

I am so grateful that I found this website. It's just awful to hear some many other women complaining of the same symptoms.

My daughter has been on YAZ since June and has had increasing mood swings. She stopped YAZ 12 days ago. Does anyone know for how long can you feel adverse problems. She has had headaches recently and has had heart palpitations for the last four days. I filed an adverse reaction with the Bayer company 1888-842-2937 and I think anyone with a problem should contact them along with the FDA.

im 17 and started Yasmin when i was 14 maybe 15, it made me so sick, id start throwing up about 8 hours after taking the pill, and that would last for about 5 hours, (like having mild food poisoning). I got heart palpitations every minute or so for days on end, and unbearable depression. I was the happiest person until i started taking this pill, and its so bad that i couldn't enjoy my life properly. Now im tiny, like really really thin mums worried i have anorexia, and although my life is perfect (great friend, good grades, nice boyfriend), I cant enjoy any of it properly. I went off it about four months ago and my happiness returns now and then like it used to be three years ago, but my mind feels so fuzzy and sort of disorientated, and i cant seem to convince myself of things properly. I was wondering if these things get better and better or am i stuck like this???
plz help xxx

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 guys. I am so glad I found this site. I am 29 and I have been on Yasmin for four years. In the last few months I have toned up and shed a few pounds and all of a sudden last week I got home and felt a tightening in my legs that I had never felt before. Then a tingling in my left arm and I had trouble swallowing and breathing. I am a very healthy person so I freaked out and went to the ER for the first time in my life. After the blood work, EKG, MRI and stress test they told me I was normal, except for low potassium levels and mentioned that I should go to a neurologist. I also thought I must be allergic to something but all the foods I had been eating were the same as before. Well it happened again tonight so I went online because there was no way I was going to spend more money in the ER to have them tell me it was nothing. After reading all the comments on this page I realized it is amazing how many other symptoms that I didn't realize also correlated to the pill. My hair has been falling out at the root like never before and I just recently developed troubles with eating tomato based foods. I haven't been sleeping good lately either and I started crying uncontrollably for no reason. Well I am throwing away my Yasmin and I can't believe that the doctors in the ER aren't mentioning the side effects of this birth control.

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?

I CANT BELIEVE THAT I CAME ACROSS THIS WEBSITE.I AM SO SORRY TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH.I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH YOU AS WELL......I HAVE BEEN ON YASMIN FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS NOW. JUST RECENTLY IN JUNE I NOTICED AN INCREASE IN MY BLOOD PRESSURE, I WAS EXPERIENCING CHEST PAIN, HEART PALPITATIONS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS. I AM A HEALTHY 22 YEAR OLD ,WITH NO MEDICAL PROBLEMS. I NEVER HAD ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACKS THIS HAS JUST BEEN BROUGHT ON ME OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.... I HAVE BEEN TO THE ER 4 TIMES SINCE JUNE... I FINALLY WENT TO MY OBGYN AND THEY TOLD ME TO GET OFF THE PILL... I HAVE BEEN OFF SINCE SUNDAY I DO HOWEVER KNOW THAT IT CAN TAKE A MONTH FOR A HORMONE TO COMPLETELY LEAVE YOUR BODY, SOI IM HOPING TO SEE SOME GOOD CHANGES... IM THANKFUL FOR FINDING THIS WEBSITE AND IM GLAD TO KNOW I AM NOT GOING CRAZY! FOR ANYONE THAT HAS STOPPED TAKING IT... ARE YOU NOTICING GOOD CHANGE?

I posted about a year and a half ago about how Yasmin was doing all the things described by many. Lost my hair....zero sex drive...and if we DID have sex...It was the most painful experience ever....heart palpitations.....severe anxiety attacks for the first time ever in my life...and even suicidal feelings. I got off of it as I quickly realized I was essentially poisoning myself with this awful drug. And got a non hormonal IUD. The IUD has been excellent. But I must say...I have never truly stopped getting the panic attacks. They still come and go. I've tried detox teas....even seeing a therapist to help with it. I'm not on any anti anxiety drugs...I've been meditating and doing yoga to help with it. But honestly.....I wonder sometimes if I'll ever get my pre-Yasmin body back. :(

Wow ~ I am so happy that I came across this website tonight. I started taking Yasmin a year ago and I am calling my doctor's office tomorrow to get off this pill! I initially started my search on WebMD's symptom checker because I am so frustrated with never feeling right! When I came across all of these stories, it started to piece everything together and I couldn't believe that I never thought my problems could be caused by my birth control pill!! I am 29 years old and have always been a very healthy woman, which is why I have been so frustrated because I KNOW that something is not normal with the way I have been feeling ~ this is what I have been experiencing for the last year, with some of the symptoms getting worse over the last 6 months: constant waves of nausea (everyday!), heart palpitations, anxiety, diarrhea, gas, stomach problems, hot flashes, complete intolerance to the heat, dizziness, headaches, sore calves, sore breasts. I had told my doctor about the stomach issues, the nausea, the heart palpitations, and she actually prescribed Xanax because they were all symptoms of anxiety (which I couldn't believe that I had because I am in the best possible place in my life now!) ~ but that is beside the point. I am now starting to believe that anxiety should not be the diagnosis, but a symptom of being on Yasmin!! I hope I can update this posting in a few months with great news after I switch to something else!

I am so relieved to have stumbled across this site and if I can help another woman who feels awful on this pill, then that'll be a good thing. Here we go: been on Yasmin for two weeks and already I have: constant heart palpitations - 24 hours a day; hair has started falling; rash on face that's coverable, only thanks to Dior; waking every night with the palpitations and needing the loo; constant period. I'm binning the packet and going au naturel. Best of luck girls.

I have been taking Yas for about a year and a half... but since the start of my last pack, I've noticed that about an hour to hour and a half after I take my pill I start getting heart palpitations. My heart thumps really hard about every other beat. Why would this start now and what could it be? I haven't talked to my doctor about it yet, because I first I thought it may have been my caffeine intake but it still happens right after I take my pill...

Hi Guys

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

Any responses would be greatly appreciated!

Regards
Warda

i'm a 21 year old girl, i've been on YASMIN for about 3/4 years, i have been through almost every pill you can think of. I was put on Yasmin because i had cysts on my ovaries, heavy bleeding and migraines.... ok in the beginning it was hunky dorry, but now its become really terrible. we have a heart condition in the family so last night talking to my dad explaining to him what i was feeling thought i was having a heart attack i had such bad heart palpitations, i had sharp shooting pains which felt like they were going through my heart, my chest closed up and i couldn't breath... my hair is falling out by the hand fulls, my moods are terrible my family doesn't even want to be around me, i'm paranoid i lost my boyfriend because i was so paranoid.... i have depression, i wake up every morning feeling nauseous, i have had the flu 23 times this year it has effected my immune system very badly. at least 3 times a month i have a migraine which keeps me in bed for about 3 days. out of all the pills i have ever tried this is the worst. i have never felt so rotten in my life i cant wait to come off after seeing all of your comments, i'm going to the gyne today. if i can help anyone PLEASE come off this pill it will cause more damage than anything else.

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.

Oh! And Furthermore, Lest I forget to register MY formal COMPLAINTS about Yasmin...
i was a healthy 160 pounds when i started taking Yasmin 6 years ago (about) I now weigh about 218. 60 pounds in 6 years for me =( I attribute some of that to Yasmin...
also~ signature heart palpitations, depression, moodiness. exhaustion crept up on me over time, worrying about everything, being tired but not being able to sleep, (these all contributed to my lask of ability to exercise overly much....palpitations during exertion are very scary....
horrible overall experience. Just got off, going back to condoms as a 31
year old woman! (tells you how bad the pills are) Will never take ANY pills ever again in my life and really think these pills should be taken off the market. in this site alone you will find over 4000 threads on the topic of bad Yasmin side effects....google it and Im sure you will find tons more, Get off this pill if you value your heart and your hair! and spread the word.... I wish you all the best and pray this isn't something even worse than we realize, or that the damage is not irreparable. =(

Yaz has completely destroyed my health. Before I started taking Yaz I had a blood test done and my doctor told me I was the healthiest patient he had. However about 10 months after I started taking Yaz I began having nausea, right shoulder pain and became very gassy. I went to the doctor and they told me I had gallstones which is a side affect of birth control. I took another blood test and had high triglycerides and high cholesterol levels. I did not have any of this until after I pill. I eat very healthy and am only 23 yrs old. Things have only gotten worse because now I have heart palpitations and low blood pressure (another side effect) that became so severe it sent me to the E.R. I feel like my heart is going to explode daily. I DO NOT recommend Yaz to anyone.

Wow..this makes me feel a lot better reading all of this. I have been off of Yasmin for about a year now but am still feeling the side effects. When I was on it I felt fine at first & was extremely excited about finally being on BC. Then about a month into it I started getting extremely bad heart palpitations and tingly body and arms. My heart would race and I thought I was about to have a heart attack everyday. I consulted my gyn/ob about this and she stated it was "normal side effects of the pill." I told her I was concerned that I had a blood clot or something else extremely severe. She convinced me it was all normal & I would be EXTREMELY ill and in the hospital if that was the case. I told her it was interfering with my life on a daily basis but she didn't seem to believe me. My boyfriend had also noticed I had been acting extremely anxious, moody and depressed and became concerned. It got to the point where he couldn't even touch me when I was at home since I was having STABBING chest pains on a daily basis. I couldn't even move & I would have really bad heartburn all the time. I went to the doctor a couple of times because I thought I was seriously having a heart attack...Stabbing pains- tingly arms and legs, extreme anxiety...my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't breath and then my heart felt as if it would pop in and out when I took a breath. My doctor said it was normal side effects as well so I told myself I was just the crazy one once again. I went to the doctor about a month later when things got worse..this whole time thinking that Yasmin had nothing to do with it and found my blood pressure was 160/90!!! My doc said it should have been about 120/70. I started blood pressure medication but the heart palpitations did not stop so eventually I stopped with Yasmin. Things have gotten better but it has still left me with permanent damage. My anxiety is still a problem and my blood pressure is still sky high...even on meds. I never had any problems before any of this...now I have major problems for life because of this drug. I know they warn you of issues prior but NO medication should do this to ANYONE. I also gained about 20 pounds when I was on the pill and when I got off I lost about 15 pounds in 2 days..I lost equilibrium in my body and felt sick with all of the sudden weight loss....Is anyone considering a Class action lawsuit against this company? & why are the doctors covering up the side effects of this drug? I know they get paid for referring people to certain drugs but this is SCARY...keep me updated.

I'm 29, have been on birth control pills for 10 years, and switched to Yasmin about 2 years ago. I a small varicose vein in my right within 2 months of switching, but didn't think a relationship between my vasculature and the pill existed. I can now trace the entire vein from my right hip to my ankle. In the 2 years since starting Yasmin, my ankles and lower legs swelled heavily...but at very random times. It often began at the start of the 7-day sugar pill regime and finished by the time I started a new pack. I assumed that the estrogen withdrawal going into the sugar pills was too much for my body to handle and that the diuretic effects of Yasmin were obviously absent during that time. I also noticed leg cramping, heart palpitations, and I started waking up in the occasional hot sweat in a drenched bed.

So, after making sure that my heart and kidneys were healthy, my gynecologist prescribed continuous hormone Yasmin and claimed it as the "ultimate solution". For 4 months, I have skipped the sugar pills for each pack and started new packages immediately. I have not had a period since, and the edema has continued (still at random) and has become exponentially worse. In the last few weeks alone, the vein in my right leg has become massive, my legs are so distended by the end of the days on which they swellI that I can't fit into pants which are otherwise loose, I am noticing other large veins "surfacing", little veins are breaking everywhere, and I can now see most of the blood vessels beneath the skin in both legs. My primary care physician told me I have chronic venous insufficiency...a diagnosis I'm not okay with. I'm very worried...the changes and ensuing damage have happened way too quickly to be venous insufficiency. I am going to ween myself off of the pill, but don't know what the next step should be. Endocrinologist? Another OB/GYN? Anyone have ideas or similar experiences to share....

Heart palpitations, dizziness, migraines, fatigue, no sex drive, weight gain, panic attacks. Saw cardiologist was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse however i don't think the doctor ever saw this on my echocardiogram. All of these symptoms appeared after being on yaz for over a year. I am stopping Yaz at the end of this pill pack..any idea how long it will take to get back to normal?

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

Hi all,
This is my third posting. I've been off of Yaz for two weeks and wanted to let you all know that I'm feeling pretty great. Headaches are gone, dizziness has mostly dissipated, mood is fantastic. Anxiety has diminished, heart palpitations are gone, and sex drive is back to where it should be. I'm having some joint aches and pains but it's hard to say if that's from the pill or just general wear and tear from working out. But I'm very optimistic! Best of luck to you all. My advice is if this pill works for you, great, stay on it. But if it's making you miserable, you have choices, and you should go off and try something new. Like my doctor said, there are tons of birth control pills out there, and you just want to find one that works for you and makes you happy. And if your doctor isn't telling you this, find a new doctor!
Good luck! I'm going back to orthocyclen next cycle.

I'm 21years old. i took Yasmin for a year because i have PCOS. but had to get off of it because i could no longer afford Yasmin. i have been off of Yasmin for a year. i always thought that the problems i was having was due to PCOS. i was reading the side effects the other girls had with Yasmin. and its sounds just like the problems i have had. i had pain on the right side of my head it lasted for about 2 weeks. i wonder what it was but didn't think much about until now. about a week ago i woke up and my neck was hurting so bad i could not move it i took a pain pill and it did help a little. i thought it was the way i slept that night but its still hurting not as bad. i started losing my hair on head my 3 week on Yasmin , and started growing more chest hair ,neck, chin, lip hair on the 4 week, pain in my chest sometimes and pain in my arms and legs and almost like move met like someones kicking inside of my stomach but i not with child done had i test ran i feel very mad all the time anything upset me i get really pissy at time and its been like that since my 1 weeks on Yasmin has anyone else had any this happen to them

I am 20 yrs old, very healthy and never had a problem until 6 months after being on Yasmin. I never linked being on this BC and my side effects but I have been off of Yasmin for one month and seeing results. My side effects are subsiding, still have some relapses but nothing compared to what I went through. My side effects were nausea, lethary, weakness, irregular periods, chest pains, irregular breathing, weird heart palpitations, and Panic attacks, and depression. I have never been an anxious or depressed person so those last ones really threw me off. Now being off of it, I am returning to normal, still not completely normal which sucks, cause I was full of energy and a happy person. I really hope that I can be normal again and hope all this gets out of my system.

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.

I am so relieved to come across this forum. I have been on Yasmin for about 3 years. After reading several postings here to my husband, we were both horrified to hear that I wasn't the only one having strange issues without a clear cause. I too have had heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable mood swings, inability to concentrate at work or deal with normal work stress, back pain, trouble falling asleep, low sex drive, and most recently, horrible depression. I have been to psychiatrists, allergists, chiropractors and physical therapy - all to try to find the cause. I have just gone off the pill, and have noticed improvement so far, and am very excited to see it hopefully improve. Hopefully I will be able to find a hormone-free birth control, instead of dealing with this. I can't believe doctors do not discuss these possible symptoms with their patients. I never would have thought bc pills would cause anxiety, depression, etc. A huge thanks to all of you for your candid comments... and helping me find an answer to my life-altering side affects!!!

I started taking Yasmin 14 months ago and came off it about 2 wks ago and my mood has improved A LOT! I was crying all the time and felt depressed. I put this down to a break up with my boyfriend which was particularly painful but now I feel that the pill had a lot to do with it. About 3 months ago I developed heart palpitations after a night out and have had them regularly ever since. I'm having frequent panic attacks and am convinced that this has to do with the hormones in the pill. Just seems a bit weird they came on all of a sudden and didn't 'develop' over time while taking the pill. Has anybody else had a sudden onslaught of heart palpitations and panic whilst being on Yasmin? I can't wait for it to be completely out of my system! I've read it can take up to three months! S x

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.