Yasmin and herbal supplements

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.

Just reporting back with some information.
I've been off of Yasmin for over a month now. Overall I've been better but there have been a few "relapses" where I've become so dizzy/lightheaded that I hard-core started to panic. Those days can be disheartening.
I've read some previous posts from an RN who said that Yasmin in particular, suppresses your androgens (testosterone) which causes many of these symptoms. This also explains why sometimes it takes a while for these symptoms to "catch up" I know I was feeling great when I first started.
I'm a lot better now that I stopped Yasmin, but I know it's going to take up to six months to get back to normal. Have your doctor check your hormone level. Even if it's " low normal" that isn't healthy for say, a 20, or 30 year old.
For herbal supplements I would suggest Ashwagandha. It's supposed to help production of your androgens. Also keep hydrated and have plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids.
What I also encourage is to talk about your situation. Once you open up, you'll never know who you'll find that had the same issue. We women can be a very helpful resource for one another.
I'll keep you posted on the progress and I hope the best for all of you.

KIM 123:

I think one of the most important things is that you recognize it's not normal and are talking about it. Being honest with yourself and others around you is so important.

Have you tried vitamin or herbal supplements to regulate your moods? Until your body can get back to its normal self, it may need a little help. Plus, you may be going through a normal hormonal change on top of everything else. I don't know how old you are, but when I was in my late twenties/early thirties I went through a serious change, and my doctor said it was normal. Everyone reacts differently (some not at all). Take that into consideration.

You are going to be ok. Give it time.

IPJ

hi jillybean. good luck with the diet i hope it goes well for you. i have tried the 5-htp as i heard it could be beneficial for depression/anxiety. I only took it for a few days as i have IBS and it gave me 4 days worth of stomach cramps and diarreah, i also found that if i took it at night it gave me really vivid dreams. bad effects aside i did feel calmer taking it but it was just no good for me as i have a sensitive tummy. i only add this as i know a lot of us run out and buy anything in the hope that it will help (i know i have spent a fortune on herbal supplements in the last year!) i'm not saying don't try it but on some web sites it does not recommend it if you have a history of bowel or GI problems,i only found this out after i starting getting stomach cramps! for those of you taking low dose anti-depressants it could be worth trying if you want to get off the prescription meds.there have been some really good reports about 5-htp working just as well as some AD's.
(no not take this whilst taking anti-depressants,it may be worth checking with your health care provider to make sure you are ok to take it and that it will not interact with any other meds you may be on.)

keep fighting the good fight ladies and remember what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

Queen of Snow: You are not alone. There are other women on this site who have been on Yasmin for just as long as you and dealing with the same side effects.

I was on it for about 7 months before I quit. Had my first panic attack 5 months on Yasmin. Then the second at 7 months. I also had the fatigue, dizziness, and nausea. Plus the sore boobs before my period.

It has now been 3 months since getting off Yasmin. I still have some bad days where I am pretty fatigued, but the dizziness, nausea, and sore boobs are gone.

So it will take some time, but you will get better.

I am also working with a nutritionist and taking some herbal supplements to help my body cleanse itself of Yasmin and all the bad stuff in my system.

Sandra

Hi ladies--just an update:
after I stopped taking Yasmin, I went without any pills for a month and steadily got better. I only had a migraine once after the initial two week withdrawal. After one month, I stared Nuvaring (today, I started month 2 on it). I have not had any anxiety or panic attacks for over a month. I do feel my heart racing every once in a while still, but I think that if I managed to cut down the caffeine, those will stop as well. My BP went down significantly within a month after going off Yasmin.

I still feel fatigued, but I think now it's just my hectic schedule. I have no trouble falling asleep anymore (I would lay in bed for hours while on the pill). I feel EXTREME thirst sometimes since goinf off, like one other person posted. I can chug a half-gallon and still be thirsty, but that is gradually getting better.

To answer the question about detoxing--I went through a two-week detox after stopping Yasmin, with vitamin and herbal supplements, an immense amount of water and teas, no caffeine, no meat, etc. It helped me tremendously and it accelerated my getting better, I strongly recommend it.

Good luck to you all.