Yasmin and high heart rate

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.

I started taking Yasmin about 3 months ago. About a week ago, I fainted and had to go the ER. There they found that my heart rate was irregular so they put me on a heart monitor. A day later I was back in the ER because of chest pains and a shortness of breath. Two days after that, I was in the ER once again due to my extremely high heart rate and pain in my legs. They told me it was my thyroid levels that were causing this, so I found a different doctor who said it was not my thyroid but had no idea what it was. I ended up going to a cardiologist who just told me I was under a lot of stress. I asked each doctor if my birth control could have anything to do with it, and they all told me no. Well, after finding this website, I can now see that it is Yasmin causing my health problems. Thank you all so much for posting your stories...they really saved me!

I've been taking Yasmin for almost 3 months now. Within the first month I noticed tingling and numbness in my feet, legs, hands, and arms. I also had a physical done by my doctor and had a high heart rate. I've never had problems with my heart rate before. About a month ago I started feeling light-headed and dizzy at times. I've even had to pull over while driving. My vision seems blurry and I'm seeing black spots. None of these things ever happened to me until I started taking Yasmin. I called my doctor today and she told me to stop taking the pill today. Hopefully these symptoms will go away soon.

Hello All,

I have posted many times in the past 6 months after getting off Yasmin. I feel it is important to 're-tell' my story for new readers to the site, as I dont want any poor woman go through the hell of Yasmin, only to read comments made a few posts ago about the 'benefits' of Yasmin.

I was on Yasmin for a year and had experienced very little effects, certainly none that I noticed at the time. However, after taking it for a little over a year I became a completely different person. I am a 27 year old, confident and generally very positive about life. I became severely depressed, suffered panic attacks and anxiety daily, had suicidal thoughts, a constant high heart rate (whilst trying to sleep, worried I was about to have a heart attack!), vertigo and nausea (with NO history of any of this). My family were terrified that they'd lost their daughter and sister to an 'unknown' mental illness....I was terrified they were right. I started seeing a therapist, but continued to feel the worst I have ever felt in my life.

I was saved the day I desperately typed in 'Yasmin side effects' into my computer (on a whim) and found this site. I still remember crying into the screen as I read women describe EXACTLY how I'd been feeling. It was a gift from above for me to finally realise I was not suddenly mentally ill, I was suffering due to my Yasmin BCP. I immediately stopped Yasmin that day. My depression and accelerated heart rate stopped within days. It has now been 6 months off Yasmin, and I am only now starting to feel the closest to my 'old self' than I have felt since before I started Yasmin in 2003. I have battled anxiety this entire time (worse according to my cycle) and it is only very slowly improving.

I finally decided to see a doctor that specialises in womens health and I am having my hormone levels checked to look to possible natural hormone therapy to re'balance everything.

I just want to make it clear that if this can happen to me, a 'glass half full' person who leads a very busy work and personal life (although I nearly gave it all up at times because of this) then it can happen to anyone.

Yasmin is pure poison. No time spent on it with positive results means you can feel comfortable that it wont suddenly change you for the worse tomorrow. I am not going to say it effects everyone differently and it's worth a trial. As a health professional myself, I am not willing to even say it is. I would not wish this last 8 months on my worst enemy.

Love to all out there getting off Yasmin. Please dont question your decision to come off it. Mine saved my life and sanity.

June 21st will be my last dose of yasmine... after reading through these side effects - I have confirmed that I am not going crazy or just experienceing unrelated symptoms. I have gained about 15 lbs since I started this BCP (in JAN) - and I have not changed my eating habits that much, drink tons of H2O and started working out- yet am not losing any weight... also, my breasts/hips have gotten huge... I have also tried estrostep, ortho-cyclen, ortho-tricyclen and levlite (allesse)- none have had positive effects and all have made me depressed, and also given me sore/large breasts and just made me feel ughhh overall! I have been sad , depressed, anxious, irrational, quick tempered etc. Normally, I used to be a happy, positive, optimistic person, now I am just miserable. I think back now and I realize that my blurry vision, high heart rate, numb arms and feet are prob realte dto yasmine also.

I must comment that Yasmine works by causing your partner to avoid you as it turns you into a *itch! Lucky for me, my boyfriend (thus far) has been understanding and supportive and is pushing for an end to this madness too!

The only good result I have experienced is no more acne. But I would rather have acne tahn be miserable.

SO, I have decided that after a year and 3 months of trying BCPS - I am quitting... and let me tell you, I am looking fwd to June 21st and my last pill of the pack!

Has anyone on this list researched natural methods or alternative methods of BC. I would appreciate any info!