Yasmin and hormones

Hi ladies,

I'm a 20 year old girl and I've been on Yasmin for just over a year now and it has hands down been the WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE. I started taking it for extreme menstrual cramps that would leave me screaming on the kitchen floor, curled up in a ball begging for the pain to stop. Yasmin fixed that, trust me it was like a miracle, and my acne on my face and back cleared up, another miracle.

Now the bad stuff. The first month was okay, because sometimes it takes time for the hormones to take affect. But I became severely depressed thereafter. It just started happening, crying all the time, hopeless, binge eating, gaining a lot of weight. And on top of that the GI problems, my stomach literally ballooned out to the size of a watermelon, and everything I ate irritated me. But a few months ago I became bulimic in a drastic attempt to get control back of my life, I hadn't even thought of the pill as the culprit up until this point. Keep in mind that I'm young, fit, have a great family, in school, there's no reason for my to be falling so low.
I started seeing a therapist, then a psychiatrist. I was this close to being put on antidepressants. And then something happened, my years worth prescription of Yasmin ran out so my OBGYN told the pharmacy to refill my prescription but with the generic brand, Ocella, that they had available which would only cost me 10 dollars a month with health insurance. Within four days I felt like my old self. Happy. I couldn't believe it. I went to a physician for tests and everything seemed normal, but after explaining to her my severe stomach problems she told me that it seemed like the pill induced me to become lactose intolerant. Wonderful!
So I started the second pack of Ocella a week ago and it all started happening again. The first month was fine again, but my body had caught up by now and even though I've cut dairy out, my stomach has ballooned up again and I have heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat. Yesterday I felt insanely depressed, I binged, became insanely nauseous and threw up. I didn't leave the couch once. Now I know that it may sound like I need to reevaluate my problems, but I promise you, THIS IS NOT ME. I've realized that Ocella is exactly what it is, the generic version, and hence chemically the same as Yasmin, so the effects will mirror Yasmin's. MY OBGYN told me to finish the pack, and then I can come off them, and I cannot begin to explain how excited I am. I'm done with pills, and I'll find another way to deal with the pain.

Please, if you're taking birth control for something like acne, reconsider, it's not worth it. We are the experimental age. We can't ask our grandmothers what the long terms affects are. But if you must be on it and are feeling badly in any way, switch! You might find something better for you.

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.

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

To add to my comment below, those of you who are migraine sufferers (like myself) Yasmin is perhaps your answer. I used to get migraines once every week to every month depending on situations and things happening in my life. After a few months on Yasmin my migraines have more or less completely disappeared while I am taking the active pills, and occasionally I will get one while I am on my period itself, but that is because I am not ingesting any hormones. I would recommend it for getting rid of migraines; however it took a few months for me to see the results so you must give it time.

I am 20 and have been on Yasmin a year and a half now and to be honest I am still not 100% completely convinced that Yasmin is the root of all my evils. To all of you who are having horrible side effects after a few days, give it time. Your body is trying to adjust to all the hormones you are putting into it and it’s doing its best to get back to normal. My first month was semi-bad, some nausea here and there and a little tenderness, but not enough to stop my life over. My doctor recommended taking the pill right before I went to bed so I could hopefully sleep though the nausea, which I usually did. After the first month I was perfectly fine and back to my normal life. I then switched to taking my pill in the morning so it was easier for me to remember. After reading countless “horror stories” on this website even I started saying, “oh my gosh, I have that….i have that too….and that!...its all because of that horrible Yasmin!” But then I had to take a step back and realize Yasmin is not to blame. Sure, I have panic attacks sometimes, but I have had those way before I started taking birth control and sure I get depressed sometimes, but what woman hasn’t at least once in their life? I didn’t lose or gain weight, my acne perhaps got a little better, and my breasts didn’t change an inch. My only questioning factor is that I don’t really have that big of a sex drive, but then I realized I never have. Now, before you all start yelling at me, I am not calling you liars in the least, I believe you and I feel sorry for all of you who have experienced bad things because of this or other birth control pills. For those of you who are thinking of taking Yasmin and are scared after reading all of these articles, remember, every body reacts to pills and medication differently. Thousands of people die every year from taking Tylenol and aspirin, but does that mean we should take these medicines completely off the shelves? Of course not. All I am saying is for every one Yasmin horror story there are thousands of very satisfied customers. Give it a try, you only have three months of your life to lose and so much to gain.

I'm 21 and have been on Yasmin for 3 and a half months for bad acne. I was originally on Dianette but experience such severe side effects I honestly thought I'd be hospitalized, so I asked my doctor for Yasmin. All was fine for the first 2 months, but I'm now getting horrible pain in my right leg which won't go away no matter what, coupled with a pins and needles type feeling in my feet. I'm also developing spider veins on my legs, It's got to the point where I'm scared to look at my legs now in case any more have shown up! I've decided I'll come off it in a month or so, but don't know what to do to keep my acne at bay. Does anyone know of any natural remedies? I don't wanna keep messing around with drugs and hormones in case I cause long term damage!
Also, has anyone else gone to their doctor about these side effects, only to find the doctor says 'its nothing to do with the pill' when clearly it is! I saw 3 different doctors about my dianette problems, none of them believed it was down to the pill, but when I stopped taking it, my problems disappeared :/

Yasmin is a steroid so when coming off it you can suffer all the same symptoms as someone stopping a steroid drug... and by the way, when people are taken off steroids it's done in a controlled way - they cut down on them very slowly by reducing the dosage. It's a real shock to the body to just stop a steroid. This could explain why a lot of us feel so terrible when we stop taking it. I know I had a real increase in severity of symptoms followed by months and months of exhaustion and fatigue.

... I just want to say that I did not have a bad experience with Yasmin or Yaz (I had been on both). I took Yasmin for about 3 years and Yaz for about 2 years. The only thing that has been rough is actually stopping it... the first month Yasmin-free, nothing much changed, aside from some weight gain (only about 2-3 lbs or so), but my period was still pretty much the same... HOWEVER, month two... what a train wreck! Spotted for 4 days, thought I was pregnant, but oh, no... my period arrived with a vengeance four days late, and it totally brought me back to those high-school days when it was so heavy, I was self-conscious of leaking! I have also gained another couple of lbs, which I can only attribute to stopping the pill because I have become very active since the beginning of the summer, and have been cutting down on food portions. So, we;ll see what happens... but if anyone else has experienced weight-gain after coming off of the pill, I'd love to know.

Otherwise, no issues! Yasmin seemed to work well for me.

I'm so glad to find this. It's taken me a while to put 2 and 2 together, but I am absolutely convinced that Yasmin is responsible for the subzero sex drive I've had for most of the past year. After reading this page, I also have an explanation for the brown discoloration on my forehead after I got a sunburn this spring -- it hasn't gone away! It's been a week and a half since I took any of the active pills, and I already feel SO much better. I was beginning to think I would never be interested in sex again! I have an appt. with my doctor this week, but there's no way I'm going back on Yasmin.

I went on Yasmin after the birth of my third child because I was having all of these symptoms that everyone is describing...mood swings, anxiety, depression, crying all the time, heart palpitations and so much more...once I went on the Yasmin I felt like a whole new person and it worked really great. I went off of it to have my fourth child. After having my son I started having terrible bleeding and irregular periods but NO other problems like I was having before. I started the Yasmin to try and regulate my periods and now...I am having all of the Anxiety, mood swings, up at night, mind can't stop spinning, tired and depression, everything you girls are describing. It is as if my hormones have switched and now the Yasmin is causing all the side effects. I have to get off this stuff...sad thing is I had a tubal after having my son...so I don't need hormones for "birth Control" but the heaviness of my period was so bad that I can't go anywhere for two days...but at this point...I will deal with the irregularity then all the side effects that this drug causes.

I was put on Yasmin for perimenopausal symptoms. I took it for three years. For the first two I had no issues at all. Then I began having intense anxiety/panic issues, dizziness and worsening migraine headaches. My doctor advised me to get off of the pill due to a chance of stroke related to the migraines. Since then the anxiety has greatly improved but I am gaining weight like crazy even though I'm eating less. For the first four months after stopping the pill my migraines were horrible and occurred about half of the month. Now its starting to level off as my own hormones start kicking in. I am having my adrenals tested as my doctor feels there is an issue there but no direct link to Yazmin to this. I know the weight gain is related to me going off the pill. I wouldn't recommend this pill to anyone.

Wow I'm glad I stumbled across this page.
I only started taking Yasmin 1 month ago after switching from LevlenEd which I was on for 4 months.On LevlenEd I found I was developing a redness in the face (not acne but almost like rosacea) which is something very uncommon for me as I have always had very clear and even toned skin. After visiting the doctor he switched me to Yasmin - something about the different combination of hormones in the tablet and that this should clear things up. Well it hasn't. In fact I've experienced so many horrible side effects of the pill that I decided tonight that I'm just going to stop taking it all together. Side effects include:
Extreme emotions
Massive increase in appetite resulting in excessive weight gain
Lack of motivation
Tiredness
Skin redness and swelling of the pores
Hot flushes at night resulting in sweat break outs (usually I'm actually cold at night and never sweat)
Decrease in libido and dryness during sex
Puffiness in the skin and a hot feeling
Sensitive muscles all over - around the ribs, tummy, arms - just touching and they feel lightly bruised
I'm usually a very active and fit person but have just felt so lethargic on the pill. Combine this with an increase in appetite and I now have a task ahead of my to loose this excess weight that I have put back on after working it off for so many years.
Before taking the pill I generally did not take any medications at all.
I am particularly interested to hear from anyone who may have experienced the same skin conditions that I found when on the pill.
The funny thing is that my sister is on Yasmin and has had no problems at all.
The only plus was that my breasts went up a whole size! A great thing for me!!
My boyfriend is just going to have to deal with the change in how we manage birth control because the side effects I've experienced over the last 5 months are just ridiculous!

Hello,
I am 23 years old and I have been on Jasmin for 8 days now. After the seventh day of using the pill, my right breast became very swollen and on the outside I have 3 lumps which i never had prior to the pill. Aside from that, under my right arm I got a swollen ball (seems to be a lymph node) and a sore right arm, which I never had before.( I am always examining my breasts and under arms on a regular basis). Therefore, I went to the doctor and they told me that is because of the hormones and its my choice whether I stop the pill or not. Apparently if you stop the pill without finishing the pack you will have a messed up period for a few months. I believe that this pill might work for some people but at the same time doctors should be more careful with what they are prescribing.

Just to clarify, aren't YAZ and Yasmin two diffy types of birth control?

It is so funny to read all of the negativity but nothing positive! I came here looking for side effects and get a bashing about how horrid Yasmin/Yaz is! Let me first start off by listing my side effects that I wanted to know about:

breast tenderness
change in appetite
tiredness
red spot in eye

Next, let me tell you that I researched BEFORE taking this medicine because 1. I have MS 2. I suffer from migraines and seizures and 3. I take a whole boat load of medications! My doc recommended Yasmin for PMDD coupled with Sarafem to help my mood right before and during my time of the month. I must say that I have only been on it for about 10 days so I do not know anything of how it works with my period.

I am APPALLED at the fact that there are few, if any, positive comments about this pill! I know for a FACT that it works because I know 7 people personally that are on it that have NO PROBLEMS! So, I ask you all that have negative comments, what is wrong with you, other than you HATE the pill? What OTHER meds were you on while taking it? I read a few comments about stopping for a month and then starting again and then wondering why they felt like crap?? Well HELLO?! You are effing with your body's hormones! And there is a difference between Yaz and Yasmin hormones. If you had a bad experience with Yaz, make sure you are not confusing it with Yasmin! Yaz is a 24 day hormone pill where Yasmin is only 21 days.

I am not a doctor, but like I said, I have done my research. I have suffered with adult acne and PMDD for years. It sucks. If Yasmin helps, I want to know. I don't want to read a bunch of bull about people who mess up their cycles by taking the pill and smoking or taking the pill with meds they shouldn't be taking them with. I know what I can and cannot take. Most of what I take is natural and what is not, well, it CAN be taken with Yasmin. Like the website for Yasmin says and like most of the informational, non-biased websites say, Yasmin and Yaz is not for everyone. Some people cannot handle this type of hormone.

I can guarantee you that some doctor or pharm company can tell you that whatever symptom you are having is from something completely unrelated to the BC you are taking. Warnings are clearly marked...read them and obey!

Hello! I'm 27 and I've been taking Yasmin for probably 7 years and never had a single problem. My weight stayed the same, my periods got VERY regular, to the DAY, and things were ok.

Starting about 3 months ago I was on my honeymoon and decided to skip my period that month which I do a few times a year and Yasmin never let me down! Anyways my period came anyways and not only that, but I spotted an extra week after! It was most noticable in the mornings after having sex. It was just brown and yucky. Then I didn't have a period the next month, only 24 hours of brown and this month I had a regular one. On top of that I've suddenly gained 5 pounds without changing ANYTHING. I wonder, can Yasmin suddenly screw me up so many years after I started taking it? I hear horror stories about Yasmin but I only see it from women taking it for a few months or maybe a year? It was always so good to me. What's going on? The weight gain terrifies me too because I so easily gain weight and I've been trying so hard to eat well and I feel like it's been pointless. It ticks me off more because I have to pay $50 a month for Yasmin even AFTER insurance pays 15, and now I think it's messing my body up too.

I have a OBGYN appointment in a few weeks and I'm going to talk to her about it and see about getting on a new pill anyways for price reasons, but do you think all these weird sudden symptoms are from Yasmin? Can you recommend a pill? I can't afford to gain anymore weight. I just can't...

I had been taking Yasmin monthly for 8 months with no problems. One week I had horrible leg cramping and pains in my calf. I thought it would go away but after going to the doctor and getting an ultrasound done on my leg, it turned out to be a DVT (deep vein thrombosis). I had to go to the emergency room and be admitted for 5 days. That is also where they told me that I had 3 blood clots (Pulmonary Embolisms) in my lung. I'm only 28, healthy, nonsmoker, P.E. teacher and was diagnosed with blood clots that are from Yasmin. I have no previous health problems and no family history of blood clots. I WOULD NOT TAKE ANY HORMONES IF YOU DON"T HAVE TO!!! Yes, for some people it may not be a possibility but at least don't take Yasmin. With blood clots you can not do anything strenuous, no relaxing massages, no visits to the chiropractor, no random medication like Ibuprofen without doctors approval, no alcoholic beverages since I was on blood thinners. I was moody and miserable when this happened since I had to immediately stop taking Yasmin and was in the hospital with blood clots. Thankfully the blood clots are gone but I'm still on blood thinners and have to be very careful for the rest of my life.

Ive been off Yasmin now for 1 cycle and im still not 100% feeling myself, im wondering if anyone can help me figure out how long I should wait before I rule out Yasmin as my problem and maybe just realizing that I need to see a doctor??? I started it for 7 days and the 3rd day in I was already feeling seriously depressed and anxious.. so on the 8th day I stopped it which was exactly 1 month ago.. How long does it take for hormones to get back to normal???????

Hi all! I am actually really glad to have found this site, i've been on Yasmin for 2 years now. I have been on several different bc pills before this but I was told by my Doctor that Yasmin would be better for me as my weight fluctuates terribly. Normally after being on the same pill for about a year my body starts rejecting the hormones. However, Yasmin has sent my body into overdrive, I feel ill all of the time, have constant headaches, break out in rashes at lease once a week and my sex drive is non-existent. I have also been experiencing extreme pains and my stomach bloats to the size of a football (seriously!) about a week before i'm due on. My periods have also become heavier and extremely painful in the last six months. After reading all of your posts i'm feel happier knowing i'm not the only one and that its not just my body! I am definitely coming off this pill now! Has any bc pill worked for anyone?? I guess i'm going to have to try different things now. However i've heard such bad things about the injection and the implant. (My nurse said they could prevent me from ever having children? - I'm 20 and have my whole life ahead of me. This is the last thing I want!) Thanks again! xx

Hi, I am just after coming off Yasmin 5 days ago...
I 've been on it for 5 or 6 years and it's just really the last year, especially the last few months that I feel like I just can't take it anymore... Previous to taking Yasmin, I had never experienced any period pain, however when I started taking Yasmin the period pain started and got progressively worse from then. The last few months I have been all over the place when I get my period, awful pressure pains in my lower abdominal and emotionally up and down every few minutes, half an hour, I could literally be in great form, and then I'd just get really quite and I can't even tell whats wrong with me because, I feel, there's so many hormones in me my mind does not know how I feel.... Anyway, i refuse to take it anymore, but now I am left with the dilemma of what form of contraception to use and also experiencing very bad back pain and light headaches....If anyone has been in the same situation or has any suggestions at all, they would be much appreciated.....!

Hi ladies... I'm not surprised that you folks comprise most of the posting population considering the fact that this drug is prescribed to you. Well I'm quite interested in this drug and I do prescribe it to my patients however I am surprised at the magnitude of side effects listed here. I am based here in south-east Asia and I do prescribe Yasmin to my patients and I rarely here of these side effects. Perhaps this can be contributed to the fact that it (Yasmin) is available here under a different brand name however consists of the same chemical position. I am interested in the ones available in the U.S. Does anyone know how I may go about purchasing them. You can contact me personally on ****** thank you.

I posted about a week ago, and have since gone off the pill. The last night I took it was last Monday, 4/14. I'm already feeling noticeably better. Still not 100%, but better. Got my period Friday night and was an emotional wreck that night and Saturday (uncontrollable crying to the point of burst blood vessels in the skin around my eyes), but yesterday was good. Today I'm feeling mellow and tired, but no anxiety, minimal headache, decreased dizziness, and much more clear-headed. Will continue to post about my progress. Best of luck to you all!

Hi ive been on yasmin since i was 13 now 18. Was orginally put on in beacuse i have v.bad period pains. Snyway about 7 months ago i started getting really heavy discharge, i was giving meds for thrush etc tested for stds all normal. the gp then told me it must be hormonal or in my mind! I was not statisfied and asked to be refered to a gyneo. She told me it was more than likely an ulcer in my cervix cuased by the hormones in yasmin, I was horrified. I have since been in hospital for an operation to get the ulcer burned off which was quite a painful experience. That was 3 weeks ago and since then i bleed everyday i am sore, and have the worst period I have had in years. To make it worse I have to stay on yasmin and could stay or end up in this situation again. Just think carfully before you go on the pill. Its not as simple and straight forward as you may think.

I have just gone back onto Yasmin after an absolutely horrifying experience trying to come off it.

I have taken Yasmin for 3 years with minimal problems. My skin was fantastic - never a blemish. I actually LOST weight while on it and went up a up a breast cup size. I got lighter periods which was a godsend. I did get a few problems though - gas and stomach bloating as well as headaches sometimes shortly after taking it and occasionally break-through bleeding. But for me the pros outweighed the cons.

I came off it recently as I'm no longer in a long term relatonship and it was just awfull. My skin broke out, I got very oily hair and skin and felt like I was going through puberty again. The worst problem was that in just 3 weeks I blew up like a baloon. I literally stacked on weight every day and my family all made suggestive comments like "been enjoying the cake lately?" I was so angry since I'm such a healthy eater and excersize every single day!!!!! I have never had a problem wth my weight before and the only change I made in my lifestyle was coming of Yasmin. I was so upset with my appearance I have actually gone back on the Yasmin. However its ridiculus to stay on it for beauty's sake.

Has anyone ever experiecend this before??? If so what did you do????

My doctor put me on continuous birth control hormones to help alleviate the severe cramps associated with endometriosis. I tried NuvaRing first, but went off because of vaginal/vulvar burning. I switched to Yasmin a few weeks ago. My breasts hurt nonstop for the first packet, but cleared up after that. I noticed I was feeling depressed a lot. My period decided to start before I even finished the active pills in the first pack. My sex drive dropped to zero. I became very irritable, like having constant PMS. I started noticing blurred vision/feeling like a blackout was coming on when I was climbing stairs. I started getting winded just climbing stairs. My energy fell through the floor. I continue to struggle with mild depression. The vaginal burning continues; intercourse is too painful--I suspect it may be linked to the hormones and not the NuvaRing. Honestly, NuvaRing had much fewer side effects for me than Yasmin. I'm not sure what to do next except get off the Yasmin.

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

Hi ,
I am 16 years old and I'm taking Yasmin for a month without my mom knowing it.
She just found out that I was taking it so she got really pissed off .
And I hate to see her like that because it makes me really sad.
The first week I hadn't have any side effects but after reading all this it makes me scared.
Does it depend on the person or does it takes time to develop these side effects ?
PLEASE I NEED A REPLY ASAP !! :)
Because I need to know if I should stop it...

As for myself, i started taking Yasmin when i was 17, i took it for about a year, then i had a break and i started taking it again about 1 maybe 1,5 year ago. i knew there are many side effects connected with birth control, but i decided to give it a shot, and i liekd it. less cramps, lighter periods, perfect. but now that i read all those side effects posted here, i realized that even though i did not have any physical side effects i did in fact suffer mental side effects. i am easly aggrevated, i get hurt over little things and can cry for no real reason, i feel tired all the time, deacreased sex drive.. and all this time knowing about side effects i kept blaming myself for being weird and becoming hard to get along with, which i wasn't before. i am an optimist and rather sensitive, but what happens to me know is way out of proportions.
today i realized that birth control pills are great invetion for a high price of our mental and physical state. condoms work for some, for others they dont bring enough satisfaction, but whats the point of being on the pill, and not having to use some latex, when the sex drive is decreased because of al the hormones?
today was the last day i am taking my bc pill. perhaps i will have to ind another alternative, but for now i need to apologize to all the people i've been hurting without even realizing that it wasn't the real me.
it's good to experiment with birth control to find whats right for us, but we have to make note of not only our physical state but also if how we feel mentally.
good luck to all finding the right ways of protecting yourselves :))

I started the pill when i was 14, trying to control my cramps and acne. I have now been on the pill for 4 years. I constantly felt depressed and "blocked" in everything in my life. I gained over 40 pounds in my adolescence and never knew why. I'm taking control of my life now and have lost about 20. I went off the pill about a month ago and I can say with all of my being it was the best move i ever made. Then the acne came. I was devastated. I went back on and feel blocked again. My weight loss has come to a fault and my cravings are out of control. I am going back off of the pill again immediately. However, i don't want my acne to come back. Does anyone know of a great way to control it? creams don't really work for me so I'm not sure what to try. Mabye an herbal remedy? Any suggestions??

I took Yasmin for 2 years and about 6 months after starting Yasmin I started getting migraines at least 3 x per week and sometimes 5 x per week (before not even really getting many normal headaches). I thought it might be my birth control and saw my OB who referred me to a Neurologist who put me on a medicine for migraines. About another 5 months later I noticed I had a small bald spot in my hair line. Saw a Dermatologist who diagnosed it is alopecia. I immediately stopped Yasmin and migraine meds and decided to get an IUD (GREAT CHOICE!) My migraines stopped almost immediately, however my hair loss continues to progress. I now have 3 additionally bald spots on my head and areas on my scalp that are very thin. I feel great otherwise, no headaches, no depression (other than losing my hair), no anxiety, appetite is normal. I'm so desperate to find someone else that has had this specific problem as no one believes the hair loss is connected to Yasmin. I just pray after awhile the hair will grow back. Please if anyone has experienced this same situation please post what might have helped you get through it and if it does ease up! One more thing - I have scalp pain, like burning on the front and top and back part of my scalp, wide spread, not only in the bald areas.

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 have a question.
I have been reading posts from people about complaints, both for good and bad.
as for Yasmin, i believe there is a new product in Yasmin called YAZ... or are they the same thing?
it seems this newer yaz product have been giving more problems then the older product.
is this true?

Has anyone else had problems wearing contact lenses with Yasmin? I've been on it for about three years now -- about a year ago my eyes started completely rejecting my contact lenses. I'm at the point where I can't wear them anymore. I'm thinking of changing to a different medication to see if that helps, but I don't know if it's just my eyes, the Yasmin, or all birth control. I know there is a definite connection, I've done some research. Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Hi I am 20 year old Female. I have been on Yasmin for the past year and a half...I am on it because i have PCOS....PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome....I have to take it to regulate my period, hormones and etc....I been keeping track....on the week off...the day I get my period....I get 3 day migraines that are so brutal.....I was put on Yasmin because it was the lowest hormone birth control pill out there.....I need to go to my doctor soon and do something about this situation...I can't stand these migraines because they take away from my daily routine...so its either double or nothing....period + migraine...fun combination.... I have been on ortho evra THE PATCH and ortho tri-cyclyn low...that was a while back ago..don't really remember any symptoms from it..but the Patch did make me nauseous......so I am actually feeling depressed today, unproductive, frustrated and it keeps going....

I am only 20 and I am confused having read all these complaints about Yasmin. The thing is that the pills have been prescribed by my doctor because of a low-progesterone level and a high-testosterone level. He says this is the only way I can regulate my hormone levels. I am now having some side-effects like depression,headaches.And it's only been the second day of taking Yasmin. Could anyone help me?

I started taking Yasmin Feb 2005. By October I had 55% of my right lung full of blood clots and 75% of my left lung full also. Yasmin made me come way to close to death. I was on blood thinners for over a year and now I'm unable to ever take any hormones ever again, including ever having any children. I'm definitely in search of a class action lawsuit!!!!!!!!

I used Yasmin for almost 3 years between 2004 - 2007. I loved it....my periods were regular, I had little acne, and I hardly had any PMS. Then I got pregnant (after stopping the Yasmin!) with twins and delivered them in late November 2007. I was so happy to know that I just knew which type of birth control I wanted to use, I had a great experience while on Yasmin so of course I would go back to it!

BAD IDEA! 4 weeks after the babies were born I started the pills. Mind you, I had a great pregnancy and lots of help at home...no post-partum or baby blues here. I started the pills on 12/23/07 and by 12/25/07 (Christmas Day) I was feeling majorally depressed, having emotional outbursts, having irrational thoughts....I felt alone and as if no one cared about me. I secluded myself and had suicidal thoughts. I thought about leaving my family and living in a hotel. I would get so mad at the littlest things....I almost threw a chair at my husband and tried to punch a hole in the wall. I cussed family members out. I was so irrational. I felt like a crazy, psychotic woman and all in less than a week. This was NOT me.

I quit the pill after the first week, realizing that this pill was causing all these side-effects. I called my OB and spoke with the nurse who told me what I was experiencing couldn't be from the Yasmin - those weren't common side-effects. I told her that I was 1 day Yasmin free and felt like a completely different person...I was myself again. She tried to tell me that maybe I was experiencing post-partum depression and I decided then to just make an appointment to talk to my OB (about Yasmin & his nurse!).

I have an appointment next week and am curious as to what he will say. I know it was the Yasmin and I am glad that I found this website & that I am not alone!

I lost my job, my family, my dog, I'm dying, THANKS YASMIN...good lord some people on here are blaming every *** problem on the pill, come on now...going from a size 2 to a size 12, UMMM HELLO...how long would you let yourself gain that much weight, before STOPPING the pill??? Good lord..I understand that the pill isn't right for everyone, but it amazes me how long people continue to take something that isn't doing them any good.

I am a 26yr-old, another victim of Yasmin.

My story's gonna be a bit long, but hope you can bare with it.
Please also forgive me for my incorrect grammer as English is not my mother tongue....but I hope I can get my message across to all of you.

Here it goes!

Ever since I had my first period at a late age of 18 (I was anorexic and severely underweight btw the age of 14-15 when I was supposed to start my mensus had I been healthy,,,,), my mensus had never been regular.

I only had about 3 full-fledged mensus per year, with occational spotting.
Apart from that, I was a happy, bubbly, cheerful lady.
Nevertheless, worried about the side effects of "not shedding", I made my first visit to the gyn.

The Dr. ultrascanned me.
Both my uterus and ovaries were normal in size.
She ran a blood test for my hormones and thryroid level.
They both came out fine.

So then she recommended me to take Yasmin, which will help to regularise my cycle and "shed" all the accumulated lining.

I was quite happy during my first box as I lost my water weight, and my skin cleared.

But then the nighmare began......

Half-way thru my second box, I suddenly became sooooo depressed.
Sure, I did have some ups and downs prior to taking Yasmin, but the ones I'm experiencing while on Yasmin is just beyond anyone's imagination.

Prior to taking Yasmin, I was confident with myself, which I believe made me an attractive person.

HOWEVER, ever since the onset of depression, I seem to have lost all the confidence in me.

All that "self-esteem" I used to possess is now GONE.

I feel so insecure about myself, and don't feel good about myself even when I'm in my favourite outfit.

Before Yasmin, I was so easily "turned-on" !: listening to my favourite tune turned me on, watching drama with my fav actors turned me on, thinking about what to have for dinner turned me on.... just about any thought was enought to mass-produce dopamine in my brain.

But these days, none of these make me happy.
Nothing makes me happy, but anything can make me go DOWN.

I've been off Yasmin for 5 days now.
I do feel slightly better than 5 days ago.
But I'm suffering from elevated heart beat around midnight, which is making me insomniac.

But my biggest concern is ;

WOULD I REGAIN THAT "GLOW" IN ME?
WOULD I REGAIN MY CONFIDENCE?

Also,

Is taking Evening Primrose Oil beneficial to regain my peaceful hormonal level?
Can I start taking EPO directly after stopping Yasmin?

By the way, I notice that I look older (as in aged) ever since taking Yasmin. Does BCP make you age faster? Or am I just imagining things out of depression?

PLEASE HELP....

Thank you for spending your time to read my story,,,,,,

i am on my last pack of pills for yasmin. my gyn put me on loestrin starting next month. i hope i have a better experience with that than yasmin. at first i didnt notice any side effects at all. then within the past couple of months (ive been on yasmin for about 6 months) i have noticed so many problems.
i am prone to migraines, but i am getting migraines at least twice a week which has severely effected my work and school life.
i had an ear infection.
ive gained close to 20 lbs (!!!!!) when in the past few months my lifestyle has been healthier and more active than it was when i started this pill. it just doesnt make sense to gain so much when i have improved my lifestyle..
i find i am moody and depressed, if something bad happens, even if its something little, i either get so uncontrollably angry or sad and i cry all the time. im not normally this emotional, ive even cried at work. its so embarrassing.
ive also noticed that after any meal i feel like i am extremely bloated and my stomach starts hurting. it doesnt matter what kind of food, it could be healthy, greasy, veggies, or cereal..no matter what my stomach always hurts to much afterwards.
i am also getting night sweats and horrible back pain, especially when i go to bed.
i am gassy, and my cramps last for my whole period. none of those things ever happened before i was on this pill.
my libido went down, however i think this is due to the weight gain. i have never felt so disgusting in my whole life.
i have gone through many pills, and the nuvaring as well. none of them have had side effects on me as yasmin.
does anyone have any suggestions for other pills for me to try? i am willing to give loestrin a chance, especially because it is a lo dose pill..and i know that everyones bodies are different. i just feel so lost..i hope this new pill works out better.

I thought that Yaz would ba a good option for me, since the the doc explained that Yaz has and equal amount of hormones in each pill, which can help with relieveing symptoms of pms ie mood swings, acne, etc... After being on it for over a week I went in for a well woman exam and everything was fine..that was October 10. Then this past Sunday Nov 4 I thought I was experiencing a yeast infection but when my at home treatment of plain yogurt and no sugar diet wasn't working like normal. I got an appointment for a exam. It turns out I had a severe bacterial infection and lumps on the vaginal wall. They weren't sure if it was hpv or related to the bacterial vaginosis! Well if I didn't have those lumps at my last exam and I haven't been with anyone besides my fiance (who I don't think cheated) how could I have contracted hpv? They have me on some major antibiotic and I'm going back on Nov 26, well please pray for me because I don't know what I would do if this was related to Yaz or my fiance. But I have experienced serious nausea, no appetite, headaches, massive pimple (way worse then the ones I ever had before beginning Yaz), serious mood swings, depression (I had to withdraw from my classes this semester since I could no longer concentrate on any homework much less attend class) I just discovered this site today, and I'm going to quit taking Yaz today! Please if anyone believes me, pray that I can experience a healing miracle. I am also going to pray for the other ladies experiencing these horrible side effects! If anyone wants to talk and needs supportive encouragement, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Sisters unite and don't be afraid to stand up and let your voice be heard that we will not accept medication that does this to us!

I'm so happy i found this I thought i was loosing my mind, little did i know all my problems had one cause. I've had time were a headache has lasted 3 days, I used to play sport now i'm to lazy to move let alone go outside. I've been depressed before in my life but none quite like this, I'm happy right now but i have days were i look at my partners face and i'm disgusted by him, i don't want to be touched i just want to curl up in a ball and feel nothing at all. What else... as soon as i started on Yasmin my skin went to hell became dry and itchy and blotchy, dead libido, pimples on my chest, it's just screwed with all my hormones, my hair is dry one second oily the next and it used great no effort, now my only option is to have it tied up all the time. I have also had major anxiety attacks and stress about minisucle things like not having anything to do! ridiculous.
I've tried other pills before with no prevail, i've decided to cease use of Yasmin and have given up on all pills...i say unless you allergic to laytex i say condoms are the way. I'd rather give up sex than live like this any longer.

I can agree with the many women who have spoken out against Yasmin. I have been taking it for about 6 years, so when I first started there was no negative media about it. I can say from experience that this pill's worst side effect are the head aches. I have never had migraines till this medicine.

I got on Yasmin for acne and to lessen my periods, but my face was never really clear even while on a face medicine and luckily my periods were lighter. However, now that I have been off Yasmin for a week and a half my face has totally cleared up, I have lost 4 pounds and my head aches are still continuing while my body adjusts to not contantly ingesting hormones.

I thought Yasmin was so great while I was first on it, but since I've been in college I would reccomend trying something else( but not Loestrin because I didn't have a period at all on that)!! So, do tons of research before choosing a pill because doctors are just saying what the pharmaceudical sales reps tell them...the pills are generall new and the side effects are not known.

I was originally put on Yasmin because of my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I was taking it for about 2-3 years and just stopped about a month and 1/2 ago and I am experiencing horrific headaches. They are sudden and on the left side behind my eye. There is no warning. They are like migraines but they are piercing pain not throbbing. Could the cessation of taking Yasmin be the cause? I hurt almost daily and I'm so sick of it. Also I haven't had a period yet.

I have been taking Yasmin for 2 years now and the side effects are horrible. Up until the last 4 - 5 months, I never had any problems with the medication. All of a sudden I started having night sweats, mood swings, anger issues, and emotionally unstable. I went to the doctor and they thought I was going through early menopause. I am only 28 years old, so of course they did all of the necessary tests. After the results came back, I was told that it was not early menopause, but they thought I may be having secondary ovarian failure. I went and had a second opinion and was told that the problem was my birth control pills. Apparently this pill can completely stop your ovaries from producing the hormones that they have to produce. My doctor told me that one of the side effects of this pill is that is shuts the ovaries down in rare cases. Well I guess I am a rare case. I am coming off of these pills and in a few months I should not have any of these symptoms. I do not recommend this product to anyone!!!!!!

OK now I'm really scared and I'm actually going to see if I can go to an ENT. I looked around and apparently oral contraceptives are known to be ototoxic which means they can permanently damage your inner ear and cause ringing, hearing loss, and vertigo. I'm really worried now. You'd think they would tell people about this!! Even if it's not common, it's very serious and potentially devastating and they should tell people before they take it. Now I'm going to be very worried waiting for it to go away.... I'll keep you posted on what the doctor says...

I've also had so many problems that I never realized until recently were related to Yasmin. I'm so angry at myself for not realizing sooner. I started taking Yasmin about 3 years ago because I was on Ortho Cyclen for a long time and stupidly thought maybe I'd try something new. Ortho was great, the only reason I switched is because I like to run my packs together and skip periods and I was starting to have breaththrough with the Ortho. BIG MISTAKE. I've had nothing but issues since, and I consider myself a stable, normally functioning woman. Since staring Yasmin 3 years ago, my libido has completely dried up. In fact I can barely let my sweet hubby touch me, let alone initiate it. We're starting to argue constantly because things irritate me that never did before. I've had mini anxiety and panic attack symptoms, blurry vision, foggy head feelings, and weird inner ear pain with occasional ringing I never had before. The worst part is, shortly after starting this terrible drug I developed IBS when I'd never had it before. Now I literally run for the potty after every meal. I cannot even lead a normal life anymore. I've struggled off and on with depressive type feelings, but for the most part have been able to muster through. Some days I am just so fricking tired though I can barely get out of bed. Oddly enough, I also get very hungover from even small amounts of alcohol....(also unusual for me)

More recently I have developed increasing chest tightness and palpitations. I am only 33 and have been checked out and they say nothing is wrong, except for my BP which always used to be very low, and has risen steadily over the last 3 years. I have also experienced significant bloating to the point most of my clothing no longer fits, despite the fact that I eat little given the IBS. My thyroid has been tested and is fine.

Finally, my hair has gone from great spirally curls that I loved to limp, weird half staright, half frizzy. I've never had this ever before. You literally could see this happen over the last few years as new hair grew in, it pushed the curls out and left this behind. I actually blamed my hairdressers and went from salon to salon before I put it all togehter!

I stopped Yasmin 2 days ago as I have had enough. I want to take something though so I started Seasonale, but this will be it. I'm giving it 6 months and if things aren't better I'm done with hormonal BC. I think with so many women who have had serious problems on this pill, you'd think they would listen. My GYN said no way it could be the Yasmin causing the IBS, but Yasmin does increase serotonin levels and the number one side effect of serotonin is diarrhea...so I think it is the cause!!

I am 21 and have been on YAZ for 6 months, I am soo happy I came across this website. I only went on it (my first BC pill) because my periods are like 8 days long and on the first day I become so sick I can most often barley even function w/o the help of pain killers (in addition to pregnancy prevention). I am about to throw this last pack out I cannot take it anymore. My boobs were naturally a large B small C ...they have exploded into a large D..it does not fit on my frame...no clothes fix me and my stomach is never flat always bloated!!!
I did not change any of my diet or exercise patterns. My boobs are so painful alll the time, I sleep w/ a bra on sometimes. I was always a moody person but recently I have been having crying spells for no reason or overreacting and at times embarassing myself. I was about to call a shrink to go on anti-derpressants! My boyfriend has been verbally attacked for the msot ridiculous things. I do not feel like myself. I called my doc and he said this one should not me doing this to me. My periods last for 6 days and sometimes I still have debilitationg craps. I have also been suffering from IBS!
He gave me a sample of LOESTRIN24? I read the side effects and they sound just as bad!! At this point I'm willing to deal w/ the cramps and use another form of pregnancy prevention! Does anyone have any advice? I want the cramps to go away and I want no weight gain unless it is from eating too much!! not the hormones! Thanks and good luck to everyone

I lterally just starting taking Yasmin today. I used to take Tri-phasil, but found it just wasn't keeping my mood in check over the last 6 months, not to mention I was suddenly getting 2 periods a month. So, I stopped taking the pill for a month, and after seeiong ads for YAZ ended up with Yasmine after visiting my Dr.
My questions for the ladies with symptoms of anxiety and mood swings: Did you not have these symptoms before starting the pill? If so, are you saying that Yasmin made them worse?
Also, I would be curious to find lout what BC pills you NOW use, and how the hormone dose compares to Yasmin. The Tri-phasil I used to take was stronger than Yasmin. If I begin to feel any side effects using Yasmin, I will have to assume that I just need something stronger and will begin with Tri Phasil again.

Yaz and Yasmin are two different pills!

(http://www.yaz-us.com) For Yaz

(http://www.yasmin.com) For Yasmin

I have been taking Yasmin for 2 months now and everything is going great!

I just wanted to post this because I noticed that some of you seemed confused and you were mistaking Yaz for Yasmin and vice versa.

I did hear a lot of bad things about Yaz though. Please check out the websites.