Yasmin and insomnia

Hello, this is E. again. My son took a nap, so I was able to read a lot of the posts. Many things that occurred to me over time were things that I thought came with the change of life of being married and having a child. Just life, in general also. But, now that I think of who I was before motherhood and being a wife, it just doesn't add up. I believe now the additional things that were happening to me were indeed extra side effects of the pill. They include, no sex drive, weight gain, migraines/headaches, fatigue/tired, joint pain, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, nausea, and stress. I have been hospitalized and have had certain procedures done for some of these symptoms. Today I am stopping the pill due to the reasons of my previous post. Within time I will let you all know if there have been any improvements. Take care, E.

I have had the worst year and a half of my life-it should have been the happiest! I was on Yasmin for about 7 years. This last year I had gotten engaged and was excited to marry the man of my dreams! The first few years on Yasmin everything was fine-I did not notice any changes. Over the last few I seemed to recognize some anxiety and started having panic attacks out of the blue. Well, in July 2008, I went to the Dr. and was misdiagnosed as having an ulcer-I really had mono and walking pneumonia?? I was having all kinds of anxiety and they could not figure out why I was sick. I went to all kinds of specialists-neurologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, etc. They said nothing was wrong. I received a call from a friend of mine who is a nurse. She knew of my symptoms that had compiled over the last year and asked if I was on Yasmin. She told me to stop the pill but I did not think that this was causing me all of these problems. I ended up having severe insomnia, massive anxiety and panic attacks, irritability, moodiness, muscle aches, night sweats, chest pains, racing heart, depression, the list goes on...I wanted to cancel my wedding! I thought that I was going insane! I ended up at a therapist looking for some help. She was able to help me get through my wedding (December 2008)-thank God!
One of my friends wanted to get off the pill to try and get pregnant and decided to do so after my wedding. After 3 months, she was able to stop her anxiety and depression medicine...correlation?? She was on Yaz!
I immediately stopped the pill (March 2009) -that was the icing on the cake! I have NOT had a period since March, I still have anxiety and am in fear every day that something is going to happen to me.I still have insomnia and feel scared that all of this is taking a huge toll on my body-especially my heart. I just want my hormones to go back to normal so that all of this will end!
Does anyone have a similar story? Any advice as to when I will get back to normal?
Please do not recommend Yasmin or Yaz to anyone ever! It has ruined my life in every aspect. It has affected my relationships, work, school, my well being.
I would love any feed back and/or comments-help!

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 started using Yasmin one month ago after using Yaz for a year. I had no problems on Yaz, but have had a multitude of problems that I believe are related to Yasmin. One of the side effects I'm having that I don't see listed by anyone else is insomnia. I am 45 years old and have never had any problems going to sleep initially or when I wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Before Yasmin, I would get up once in the middle of night to urinate, and now, I'm getting up 4 or 5 times a night and then sometimes, it takes me an hour to go back to sleep. I have also been feeling depressed and more anxious than usual. During the second week of Yasmin, I had gastritis that lasted for about a week. Gastritis is something I typically get 3 or 4 times a year, but I'm thinking it's another side effect caused by Yasmin. I've also had more nausea and bowel problems this month than normal. I have breast tenderness and I had unexplained rib pain for a few days. Finally, my belly seems to be more bloated than normal. I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and I WILL be switching to another pill.

I am on my second month of Ocella, the Yasmin generic. Within the first day or two, I had palpitations, chest pain and insomnia. I thought my body was just adjusting to the new hormones. I have just started my second pack and I still have chest pain daily. The only thing that I have found to make me feel better is when I run on the treadmill. I would think my body should have adjusted by now and I do not want to cause any long term damage. I just wish I was not having this issue since my oily, acne prone skin is finally looking pretty good.

Thank goodness I googled insomnia and Yasmin- I finally feel like I'm not insane. Started Yasmin about 4 months ago, boobs have grown by nearly a cup size and are now tender all the time. The worst thing has been insomnia though, but for some reason I never thought of the link until now, at 1.45am, and I have to be up in 4 hours. Just an average night on Yasmin. I'd put it down to finding my job quite stressful, but now it's all starting to make sense. Will be going off this pill soon.

I decided to try Yasmin because my sister recommended it for both skin and PMDD. For the past two nights (I've been on in for three days) I've woken up at least 10-15 times with anxiety and nervousness. It has been horrible. I can't sleep and I'm so tired. Needless to say I'm stopping the Yasmin. I am so grateful I looked up insomnia online because it wasn't listed as a common side-effect. It is the worst kind too because I wake up panicky with a racing heart. After reading all these posts I'm 99% sure it is the Yasmin but I'll post again if the symptoms don't disappear in the next few days.

Hi,

I started Yasmin generic (ocella) 3 weeks ago. After a few days I developed a headache that feels like constant pressure around my temples, eyebrows and in between nose. It does not go away with pain killers. I have no history of reoccurring headaches and when I have gotten one advil usually takes care of it.

After 2 weeks I decided to stop Ocella to see if that was the reason. I still have the headache a week later. I went to the dr. yesterday and he said it wasn't a sinus headache which I thought it might be. He said it might be a migraine even though it doesn't sound like a typical one. If it doesn't go away this weekend I'll have to get a Cat scan and maybe MRI. Does this sound familiar to anyone who got headaches from Yasmin? My dr. said BCP wouldn't cause a headache but several people on this site described it as a side effect. Input much appreciated.

Thanks!
C.

I'm 27 years old, I suffered from huge 8 cm endometriosis on my right ovary & i had surgery to remove the endometriosis but my ovary was saved thanks god, I've been on marvelon for about a year then I took 4 shots of Decapeptil, I won't mention the side effects of both mentioned and how bad i really felt, & now after 2 years of my operation & the check ups each 5 months, here i am suffering from another endometriosis 3 cm size but this time on my left ovary & my dr. advised me to follow Yasmin bcp, it's my 1st month, i had very light period & i felt much better but i'm spotting since i started the pills & i'm depressed, with no sex drive, insomnia, no weight gain & no headaches but my breast size increases into double & it looks like they are huge fake breasts even though i'm still slim, i'm having sharp pain in my breast also, and neck cramps, I feel always sleepy & pessimist about everything :(

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 now 17 year old daughter was prescribed Yaz back on 7/12/07. Since then she has had an extreme problem with constipation. She has been to the doctors several times, and is now seeing a gastrointestinal specialist because she can only have a bowel movement if she takes a laxative. The pediatric doctor had her on miralax from April to October trying to get this problem under control. It has not worked. We are seeing the specialist and they are running her through a battery of tests, which will now possible include a colonoscopy (at 17 !!!!). She has been extremely moody and aggravated - which I attributed to her age of course. She is no longer extremely athletic, she doesn't really do a lot. She is not the same person, definitely is a homebody now - never going out hardly with friends,etc. She has also had a 20 pound weight gain and for a tiny girl, this has had a huge effect on her. I have watched all of this, and never really thought about the yaz connection until today when a friend sent me this email with a link to this site:
******

that is when I got scared thinking maybe her problems were all caused by yaz. of course her acne cleared up, but her periods are still irregular and spotty. has anyone else experienced the bowel problems???

sweats, fatigue, anxiety, major leg cramps, weight gain after getting of it! terrible sleep and insomnia! I am now using nuvaring...no trouble. any and everything seems to make my stomach swell after having used it...i also developed a golf ball sized cyst...and got gall bladder disease. major nausea for no apparent reason! I got off of it when i couldn't stand the idea of having another period after already have 5 in a 60day span. I am still not better after three months! Ugghhh! After being sick with gallbladder disease and these symptoms/side effects...I am feeling hopeless and terrible! Yasmin sucks! But it was taken in hopes of a clearer complexion...it's odd that it actually got worse.

God Bless all of the others who have and are going through what I am...

Hi everyone.Ive been on Yasmin now for 10months due to really bad heavy painful periods.I wasn't at all happy about going on it as i have tried different ones in the past and gained a lot of weight, but as this was my last chance in trying something to stop the bad periods or get pregnant as I wasn't in the right place to do that I had to give in and try it.I was told that I wouldn't gain that much weight,just a couple of pounds.But i have put so much weight on.About a stone in weight.And i work out 3/5days a week.And it doesn't matter how hard I try I cant seem to shift the weight which is really upsetting.I decided today that i would do some research on it as i know somethings not right with my body.My boobs have grown so much bigger and are so very much painful.My legs are swollen,my calf muscles really hurt when i exercise.As I use to be a dancer I have always had good legs muscles and ive always exercises so I knew it wasn't because of that.I became very moody,tired,insomnia,dizzy,head aches which I hardly ever got before and very snappish.I didn't want 2 do anything.I became very depressed about my body and life in general.Crying all the time.My doctor put me on anti-depressants and even though ive chilled out a lot more,everything else remains the same.You just know your own body,and ive known for sometime that taking this pill wasn't doing me any good.It may have stopped the painful heavy periods but at what cost!!! To have even more problems then you had before.I was reashured by my doctor who may I add was a gynecologist for 18years,told me it was the best one and hardly any side effects.Yeah right what a frigging joke.Im so unhappy about my self,and my life.Oh and you guest it,no sex drive.This pill has to be taken off the market.They haven't a clue how bad this is and what effect and long term damages its doing to us women.As im going to see my G.P tomorrow im going to be taken off it.Im so happy I found this web site.I thought I was going mad,and had a weird body.I just hope that when I do come off it that I don't go back to the bad heavy painful periods as it got to the point that i was on the floor and couldn't get up I was in that much pain that I couldn't take it anymore.I think thats why i have stayed on it for so long as im afraid of going threw all that pain again.So if anybody else out there reading this knows if theres any other way to stop it from happening again without taking the pill or having the injection or coil put in, please write back to me and let me know.
Samantha Blake from Blackpool.aged 24.

I just spent the last 4 days in the hospital due to "status migrainosus" (a severe migraine that can only be treated by hospitalization/IV. I never had a migraine until 2 years ago when I was put on Yasmin to treat endometriosis. Since then I have been anxious, extremely emotional, experienced insomnia and had bad migraines. After reading all the comments on this site, I am convinced this is not a safe drug (at least for me) and have stopped taking it.

I see many women saying rapid heart beat and anxiety, but has anyone else experienced dry mouth, insomnia, and/or a lack of vaginal fluid? I'm a little concerned.
Cindy

I was on Yasmin for 6 weeks before pulling myself off this morning. I experienced bladder problems, insomnia, extreme hunger, moodiness, brain fog, horrible cramping, irritability, and a multiple-day long migraine that has still yet to subside.

I was on Yasmin for two months and then switched to the new generic form this month, completed two weeks and now I am taking myself off of the pill due to the following side effects: anxiety, crying over every little thing, insomnia, tiredness, extreme hunger, sore and swollen breasts, ear aches, constipation, and leg cramping.

Lately my wife has been experiencing of depression, lack of energy, muscle cramps, nausea, enlarged and soar breasts (nipples are hot also), headaches, insomnia, vaginal discomfort and sourness with and without physical contact, constipation, and other symptoms, which I cannot as a male, properly describe. Is this accumulation of symptoms normal or should we look in another direction for birth control (besides condoms)? A concerned husband, Kenny...

I could not be happier that I decided to google insomnia due to Yasmin! Wow, as I sit here and type with my eyes barely open and not having a good night's sleep in a month, I am finally filled with hope that something can be done! It started to occur to me that my severe insomnia started just a few weeks after I started on this pill. Then last night I started having terrible anxiety. I've been dizzy and lethargic and cannot focus at work on the simplest of tasks. I just started taking Yasmin 2 months ago and just finished the pack today. I will definitely be talking to my doctor about trying something else or going off birth control all together. It is such a relief to have found that there are others feeling the same as I do (well, not for them of course!!).

I'm 33 years old and had a baby back in November (almost five months ago). I never took birth control before, but after having my baby decided to try Yaz. I attributed my frequent insomnia, fatigue, and lack of sex drive to the fact that I had had a baby and was getting used to the pill, but now I am realizing that after all this time, all of my symptoms are probably due to this pill. I'm going to discontinue use of Yaz and see what happens. I can't handle the insomnia and lack of sex drive anymore. I can't have orgasms anymore and it is driving me crazy. I am also hungry all of the time, and my mood swings are much more severe than they should be, even at off times of the month. I hate to make my husband wear condoms, but if it means that I'll actually enjoy sex with him again it will be worth it!

Doing an article on Yasmin, INFO WANTED on Side Effects that occur after you stop taking the pill

Hey okay so I'm doing an article on Yasmin, the side effects that occur when you stop taking the pill, and would like more information on it. I would like to interview ex users of the pills that have experienced either hair loss, lack of period, severe headaches, and just about anything that resulted. I need to write this article ASAP! All experiences are helpful. I too used to be on the pill, and ever since I stopped taking it my cycle has been out of whack. Please contact me either via email gator924@ufl.edu or through AIM: lipsfullbittin or via phone: 786-239-8751.

While most people know some of the side effects of taking the pill, few know the side effects that occur when you stop taking it. It would be a helpful article to any users or future users of the pill, don't you agree?

I was put on Yasmin for PMDD along with an increase in my anti depressants- since I have been taking it, I have had several instances where I have slept for like 20 hours- has anyone else experienced this? My gyno originally put me on it for insomnia during my cycle- I can't take this anymore- I think I need to stop taking it- I haven't even made it through one pack yet- can anyone help me?

I have had bad skin since my teens (I am 30 now) and started taking Yaz (a lighter form of Yasmine) in February. I noticed I had gained a small amount of weight (5 pounds) but Yaz didn't do a whole lot for my acne. I got onto Yasmine in June and there are both pros and cons to this bcp. Pros: clear skin that makes me feel attractive and confident, regulated moods, lighter & shorter periods. Cons: I gained 10 pounds that I cannot lose, severe bloating, water retention, gas, night sweats & I cannot sleep through the night anymore. The worst is the weight gain. I work out 5 days a week & do an hour of cardio each time & it does nothing. In this case, though I love my clear skin, the cons outweigh the pros and I have discontinued my use of Yasmine. My sister is on Yasmine, has very very few side effects and loves it. Just goes to show that every woman's body, even in the same family, is different.

I took Yaz for 7 days. In that amount of time, I began experience the most horrific symptoms I have experienced in my life. They included: chest pains, nausea, vomiting, arm pain, and the feeling of imminent death (these caused me to go to the emergency room since they are classic heart attack symptoms for a woman); leg and arm weakness; lethargy; migrane; panic attacks; severe insomnia, diarrhea, and vision problems that caused my contact lens perscription to change and night time vision had profound halos when driving, etc. I was literally unable to stomach any normal food portions I was so nauseous. I normally run 3 miles and could not even make it to the gym for weeks. I was afraid to stay home alone with my 4 year-old and 17 month-old for fear something would happen to me while they were in my care. At the ER they found low potassium levels (which makes no sense given Yaz has a potassium sparring diuretic component). In another blood test, I had elevated iron, which I have never had previously.

I am 35 and have been on bcp's periodically for 12-15 years. I have never had any of these symptoms prior to this experience. I have never had anxiety, depression, or any other underlying health condition. I immediately stopped taking the pills once I made the connection. So far, my recovery has been slow, but at least it is improving. I resent that my ob/gyn and internist both said that the pill would be out of my system in 24 hours. The effects are clearly long lasting (I am approximately 7 weeks off of Yaz).

Finally, my eye doctor, of all people, said that he has seen and heard of people having problems similar to mine and that it was understandable that I would have anxiety when I felt like I was dying from a heart attack. No one perscribing this medication bothered to tell me of the diuretic component or any component that was going to affect depression. I am attorney and have always thrived under pressure, not turned into a panic attack ridden mess like this medication caused.

As for the previous post who stated these are common symptoms described by women, at 35, I know the difference between my normal body function and the hell that began when I started taking Yaz. Unless you have experienced this, then you clearly would not understand. I appreciate that Yaz and Yasmin have worked well for some, but that clearly has not been my personal experience. So, I write this not to discourage someone who has had a positive experience, but to provide support for anyone else who has suffered like I have.

I've been taking Yasmin for almost 2 years now. I was first put on it after being diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). In the passed few months, I have found myself so tired, restless, having insomnia, anxiety, acute panick attacks, hives all over from the anxiety. I thought I was losing it. My only dilemma now is that if I do go off the BCP, I am at risk again for no periods, high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, cancer...alot of stuff. So, anyone else out there with PCOS who has had these symptoms, and gone of the BCP..what did you have to do in order to keep your horomones in balance?

Hello,

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

I took yasmin for a year and a half. Loved it until now. I am 27 and 5'4. Over the last year I have had every test done on me because my weight dropped down to 95lbs, I get really bad chest pains that make me feel like I am having a heart attack,I am really shaky, my hands and feet go to sleep, I cannot concentrate (which is bad since I am a student), having trouble sleeping,extreme fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and the list just goes on and on. Well, the docs couldn't find anything and so when I finished my pack of yasmin last tuesday, I didn't start a new pack. I am pleased to tell you all that this week I have more energy (i also have a husband, a 9 year old, and help run our business), no chest pains, and I have gained weight. I am going to talk to my Doc about a different form of BC. Hope you all get back to feeling normal. and for those you are having great luck with it, Congrats!!!!!!! i Hope I can find one too.

Hi, I have been on Yasmin for 2 years now. I have ALWAYS been a very confident and outgoing person. For the past year i have had panic attacks regularly. I am very hot at night, I have trouble sleeping, yet my period pains are at a minimun and I have few symptons of PMT. (Mind you it is still bad enough to take codeine and paracetamol on the first day of bleeding).

Other side effects that I thought would clear up but which haven't are:- dark patches on my forehead and above my lip (doc said they would go, but seem to 'come' and go) and a very sore throat accompanied by swollen glands, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left side of my neck. My fingers are tingly and my joints are swollen. The Chest pains could be related to anxiety. I get a migraine 24-72 hours before I bleed, regular as clockwork now.

The worst is the mood swings and the depression, I just really don't recognise myself, tired and teezy all the time.

I was very happy for the first 3-6 months that I took Yasmin, but after that I have known I haven't been 'right', but my anxiety and depression have made me unable to make a decision or be focused why.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed on the site, it's great to know I'm not the only one.

i have been taking Yamine for about a month and a half, after being on a generic pill for a couple years. I didnt know if these symptons i was having was caused by yasmine, but now i think it may be. I have been getting lightheaded, blurry eyes, shakiness, hot flashes..almost like a panic attack, and i have become very dehydrated, even though i have been drinking alot of water. I even went to the doctors for these symptons and they still don't have an answer, so i think it may be yasmine.my newest sympton as of yesterday is chest pain. also i feel like my heart is beating fast all the time, and i feel fatigued way too often, which is causing me to eat more, becauase i am starving way to often, and if i don't eat i feel like i am going to collapse. Also my sex drive has gone to non-existant- is that common? I workout all the time, and eat pretty healthy, so i don't know what else these symptons could be coming from. Is anyone else experiencing these sympons?

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

I have been using Yasmin for almost 10 years. Recently I have began getting migraines (never had them before), nasty vaginal discharge and an embarrassing increase in facial hair. I can somewhat deal with the migraines, but the other two symptoms are extremely irritating.
I have been to my gyno for both. She told me that the discharge was "normal" with the use of Yasmin. I don't think snotty goo coming from your vagina for a straight week before your period is "normal". She assured me that all testing came back negative and it was just something I would have to deal with. As far as the facial hair goes...I can't leave the house without standing in front of a mirror and plucking my poor chin and neck for up to an hour each day. My gyno suggested that I get laser treatment, which would be grand if SHE were paying for it.
I don't know if I want to continue taking Yasmin or not. I have ovarian cysts and used to have severe periods lasting for a week and a half at a time, and Yasmin had helped with those problems.
Has anyone else had these problems...and what are you doing for them?

I originally went on Yasmin because I experience horrible menstrual cramps. As a cure for cramps, Yasmin is a miracle. HOWEVER...I have been on it for almost 3 years now & have noticed new issues. I now have insomnia (recurring almost EVERY night). I can fall asleep, but ALWAYS wake up after a couple of hours & usually can't go back to sleep, or sometimes wake up every hour or less. Also, I haven't been able to wear contact lenses in almost 3 years. I have an unusual condition that causes my eyelashes to grow abnormally. I have zero sex drive. Other birth control brands make me moody & angry, but I don't know which is worse.

I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year. I started taking it because I was experiencing severe PMS Symptoms. I was really happy with Yasmin because my PMS went away and my face cleared up. However, the last six months I have started experiencing a lot of stomach problems. I have constant nausea--feels like morning sickness. I'm sick if I eat but sicker if I don't eat. I've had anxiety, headaches, insomnia, gas, weight gain, and depression. I've been to see the doctor about my stomach--I had a blood test and my amalayse and lipase were both elevated (around 400--normal is 70). He assumed that it was my gallbladder, but after a CT Scan, Ultrasound and Endoscopy, they say my gallbladder and pancreas both look healthy. He's stumped. I'm wondering if it's the pill. I've tried to find research showing that the pill can increase amalayse and lipase levels but with little luck. There are a few rare cases reported. Anyone else experience this? I can handle the side effects, it's just the pancreatic function that I worry about.

Thank god I'm normal! I plan to call the doctor TOMORROW to come off of this medication.

I'm breastfeeding my son, so it's difficult to find a "safe" pill to use. I tried the mini-pill with lots of side effects. Have been on Yaz for 10 days, and as I read through all of the posts I realize I've had side effects I didn't even know were side effects!

The most troubling has been the anxiety. To have a panic attack while nursing an infant in the middle of the night is not a good thing. Especially the loss of control knowing that if I pull him off for my own comfort, he will probably become frantic. My anxiety level during the day has been ok, but I've been on Prozac for depression all along, which may be keeping me somewhat even.

Other side effects: insomnia (last 3 nights I've been up till 3 in the morning), extreme muscle aches, nausea in the morning (feels like morning sickness, but def. not preg!), dry, itchy skin, lack of libido and aversive to touch, even in a non-sexual way.

Oh, well...time to try another. Hopefully my OB/Gyn will not give me a hard time.

I have been on Yasmin for 1 year now. I looks back to when I started and I had terrible insomnia to the point I had to take an additional sleeping tablet in the middle of the night when the first one had worn off. I feel nausea in the morning from time to time. My boobs have increased from a C to a D (sounds great but so has my bum and thighs). I don't have much energy and find it hard to lose weight.
My boobs are sore all the time now - not just around my period. I have awful anxiety attacks. I cant seem to cope as well and get teary and frustrated. I have numbness in my big toes. I'm going off it once my cycle is over. I was taking it for PCOS but I think I can manage the symptoms with exercise and diet.

Hi all,

I am 27 and I have been on Yasmin for about 5 months now. Initially the doctor put me on it for depression/anxiety and moodswings. Apparently the constant dose of hormones (especially progesterone) helps your body control emotions and moods. And even in Singapore, there has been a LOT of advertisements on this drug and i know many of my friends are on it too. THe doctors here are huge advocates of this drug.

In the first 3 months of being on the pill, i had really bad side effects - ranging from sore breasts to chest pain to insomnia. But the last two months have been relatively symptom free. Infact, I have lost weight and my skin looks great! My boyfriend and parents claim that my mood is more stable and I am more confident.

But for some reason after reading all these posts about how for some women the nightmare continues even after stopping the pill, I am so scared to stop it!! Do you guys have any idea how long the symptoms continue after stopping the pill??

Where do I begin??? I have been taking Yaz for six months. Migraines! The worst migraines ever, I cannot function for one full day and sometimes more, the pain was so intolerable.

Hives! For the past two months, I keep thinking that I had a food allergy; even my doctor diagnosed it as that. After going to the allergist, I was told that I have developed an allergy to the Yasmin pill. No part of my body has been discriminated with this medication. Hives from the top of my head, in my eyes, right down to the bottom of my feet! This has been the worst experience of my life with this pill.

Fatigue to the extreme! I fall asleep sitting up and never feel rested. Yaz has caused me to go up two cup sizes so far, I went from being a 38C to a 40DD and I can't fit into anything. My boobs are sore a lot.

Weight gain, at least 20 pounds heavier. Nausea; Indigestion; Diarrhea & Constipation; Decreased Sex Drive; and Mood swings; Uncontrollable Rages; Severe body aches; Hot Flashes/Chills; Crying Spells; Blurred Vision; Lack of Concentration; Trouble sleeping; Dizziness; Shaking; Restlessness mainly after 9pm when I should be winding down to go to bed; Terrible night sweats; Never ending cravings for junk food; Inability to cope with stressful situations; Feeling of being inadequate; Can’t concentrate; Gassy; Hate family & partners; Irrational.

I was prescribed YAZ in Nov 2006. Initially it was not that bad.....here recently I have been experiencing horrible side effects. I was having bad migranes, i was getting sick all the time, I had the shakes, anxiety attacks, insomnia, etc...I have decided to get off of the YAZ. It made me feel horrible. I still have some side effects....thankfully I have no more anxiety attacks....I do still have the shakes and headaches though, sometimes I still feel sick. I hate what this birth control did to me. I don't even want to get on another one because I am scared it will make me sick like YAZ did

Hello!

I was on Ortho-tri-low for 7 or 8 years (I am currently 27) and began taking Yasmin about a year and a half ago at the suggestion of my new doctor.

At first, things were great! My skin had always looked fine, but Yasin made it perfect - even better then my old pills. Slowly, however, symptoms of somethinh darker took over but I never suspected Yasmin until I found this site.

I had attributed my new horrible, moody, AGGRESSIVE personality to stress (got engaged in September, switched jobs - high pressure job etc.). I come from a family who sees sickness as weakness adn I basically took full responsibility for my temermental flaws and ignored the horrible physical symptosm as well. I had MAJOR anxiety, heart palpitations, dizzyness, depression etc. Teh last straw was about a month ago when my periods had lasted almost 5 weeks. I FREAKED out - (cancer? fibroids? Ahhh!) - not to mention weight gain.

I'm not usually a person who runs to the doctor about every little thing, but the prolonged period urges me to actiona dn in teh process I foudhn this site. So I did what I thought was sensible: I stopped taking Yasmin that very day.

WARNING: if you just stop Yasmin out of no where, you may experince what I experienced: thyroid problems. Sure, this means nothing to you as a healthy girl just bopping through life - but MAN does it suck when something's wrong with yoru thyroid. I've been off Yasmin for 2 weeks now and my skin is so dry, I look like a snake (Where is my beautifulk skin frm Yasmin!? I miss it!)

I've decided to never take that evil medication again, skin be damned. Already I'm feeling better because the depression has wanned, but my insomnia is out of control. I forgot what's it's like to be NORMAL and happy - soooo glad I've got that part back. My wedding is in 4 months so hopefully I'll be all the way back to my old self soon.

Anyone else experienced this horrible dry skin thing? No amount of lotion helps. I've even tried Neosporin all over, to no avail.

In July my doctor recommended I try Yasmin to help clear up my acne. At first I thought Yasmin was absolutely wonderful! My face cleared up and due to Yasmin's diuretic effect, I no longer suffered from water retention. By the time September rolled around, my body was a complete and absolute mess. I suddenly developed severe IBS after never having experienced digestive issues. I was constantly bloated and constipated. Besides the IBS, I also experienced insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, weight gain, depression, and overall I lost my "glow!" I just looked and felt horrible and I felt like I was on speed even though I gave up caffeine.

I went to one doctor after another and they told me I needed to eat more fiber to cure my IBS. Since I have always doctors know more than me, I added more fiber to my diet and just got more bloated. One of the doctors I saw wanted to put me on anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants. Not one of my doctors ever discussed a possible correlation between Yasmin and all my health problems.

All of my issues compounded and by January, I just had to stop taking Yasmin out of desperation because one night my anxiety was so bad I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Once I stopped taking Yasmin, my anxiety immediately went away.

It's been 3 months since being off Yasmin and I am finally regaining my energy, starting to gradually lose weight, and feeling like myself after feeling completely down and out about life.

I am not a doctor but from the research I have done, I think Yasmin caused a major hormonal imbalance and as a result my body became estrogen dominant. This is just a hypothesis but I had all the symptoms of estrogen dominance (weight gain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, depression, etc....).

This whole experience has taught me two very valuable lessons: 1) Do not start taking anything foreign until you do research and know the side effects 2) Respect MDs for their book knowledge, but know they are not always right. Do research on your own because you know your body better than anyone. Having an MD say you need more fiber in your diet or you need a prescription for sleeping pills, anti depressants, ect...is not always the best or healthiest solution.

If anyone else has experienced what I have due to Yasmin, my heart goes out to you. This past year has been the one of the worst years of my life and I will never take birth control ever again. Hang in there and know your health will be restored once you stop taking birth control.

Dear Jen

My Thyroid elevated quite high when I came off the Yaz I thought I was having heart attack
I had it last checked a month and half ago and it was 0.89

I dont know I too was wondering where it is at now
Maybe should have it checked again

Wish I understood what is making us all feel this way
Hormones?
Thyroid?
Stress?Anxiety?
Depression?

Which is it what is it???

I have tried so much
Just got adrenal support vitamins today and whole foods B6
Trying the vitamins now

Cant fall asleep on my own is so terrible

Does anyone else have insomnia or the problem where you cant fall asleep

Dejay had it the same as me but the Lexapro I believe made her gain her sleep back.

Is anyone else out there taking antidepressants and it helped alot

Dejay was a mess and the Lexapro has her out everyday and functioning pretty well and sleeping

I tried Lexapro for 4 weeks and it nearly killed me

My doctor wants me to try Celexa a mild version thinks it would help alot but Iam terrified

Anyone know?

I havnt written on the forum in so long its really painful somedays to read of all the women sufferring so its very difficult for me to even talk about it most days

I have been off Yaz for 4 months today
I have had nearly every symptom mentioned

Thyroid elevated
Blood Pressure raised
Heart palps
Muscle weakness
Terrible horrible anxiety
Depressed thoughts
Not feeling like myself
No confidence anymore
Feeling of never getting well
Vaginal infection
Loss of interest in doing everything I love
Right eye feels odd the lid
Insomnia severe
Loss of appetite

As I sit here typing I miss the old me it is like the last 4 months have been a blur a rollercoaster unimaginable nightmare

Prior to starting Yaz I was having a great life nice boyfriend fun shopping going out planning trips cleaning gardening working you name it I did it and never ever experience saddness depression or anxiety
I was completely confident holistic easy going even tempered

I was on the pill 3 weeks 2 days off of it and I was hysterical and thought I was losing my mind and going crazy I cried and didnt leave the house for 6 weeks cried and had my family witness me almost losing my mind or so I thought

Although I have made progress I still am not working
I cant be a mom like I was to my daughter
I dont have confidence
I lost 14 lbs
I feel shakey in my arms still and have no clue if it is anxiety stress hormonal or if I have some unexplained illness
I dont know

Living in fear everyday of not being me again is tearing me apart

I had the hormone pellets biodentical inserted 3 weeks ago to try and give me a edge on balancing out I have seen psychologists psychaitrists medical doctors wellness doctors hormonal doctors

No one knows no one understands no one knows whats wrong

Iam forgetting things things I know I know its all scary

I hold hope that Bitter RN is better and a few of you

I want to be me again

What is it we are feeling off the pill months later like m

Is it hormonal is it Post Traumatic Stress is it the anxiety is it depression is it medical problems I dont know
All Iknow is I was healthy and fine and now all this

Anyone who can shed light and hope please say

I feel as though I have been on yasmin so long...about 3 years...that I forget who I am. I don't know what 'myself' is. I know that I have been depressed and suffering severe anxiety. Sometimes I hate being out in public. I am a singer so I should love people, but I over feel overwhelmed and panicked around a large crowd. I cry at least once a day. My emotions are very out of whack. I also have serious leg cramping and insomnia, which I thought was restless leg syndrome until I read this forum. I basically have pushed aside all of these problems thinking I was being a hypocondriac until now. I also am sad to say I have NO SEX DRIVE as many of you have said. Sometimes I don't even want to be near my boyfriend. And sex most always feels like a chore. This is not good. After my period this week I am switching to Femcon. I hope I will have better results on this. Oh yeah and Yasmin is supposed to be the no bloat pill...yeah I gained 15 pounds. Niceeee.

Hi,

You name it, I had it. Fatigue, Headaches, Racing heart, palpitations, chest pain, naseau, sleeplessness, melasma. This is the second time this has happened to me. The first time was in 2003 on Ovcon. My gyn then put me on Aviane, a generic brand with lower hormone levels. A year later I went to and endocronolic specialist, who decided to put me on Yasmine, not sure why, but like so many people, I did as I was told (blind trust). I just this month reached the climax of my symptoms and decided to see a doctor. Just as someone else posted, the first thing they said was ANXIETY. They said I have been on Yasmine to long to just now start feeling side effects. I gave a rundown of everything I was feeling and they sent me for blood work.

Results are I am enemic. I have an iron deficiency. This I knew from my younger years. What I am curious about, is whether or not Yasmine has an effect on the level of iron in your blood. Can it worsen your enemia?

hi... i wrote about my disapeared period a couple of days ago n wanted to update u guys... i did go c my doc n she put my on ortho.. eventhough my period still hasnt arrived she says my hormones r all messed up n i need to regulate them. Ill be able to get of BC in 2 cycles as long as AF does show her face but i was only taking yaz for 5 months and it didnt cause any prob until i stopped taking it.. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone and eventhough all BC pills have side effects this is the only one ive had problems with...i also suffered the insomnia that the others have spoken of but only after i got off it..

thank you for responding j

Hi Guest 38149-

Several women have experienced trouble with insomnia. Something that has been found to be helpful is the herb: schizandra. I posted some information on this on the UK forum website (its link posted here as well as in the forum sections under supplements.) It helps with a number of things in addition to insomnia. See Lilah Kay's more recent experiences.

I hope that's helpful.
J

I have low magnesium but no problems with insomnia. I take atenolol which could be why I sleep well.

Guest 38149-

good for you! We are delighted needless to say. If you haven't checked out the UK forum-see the link in emails below-highly recommend you do so. Sarah/flowerbabies set this up and its grown alot.

Yes-I did experience trouble sleeping and suspect it was from low magnesium levels/elevated potassium levels-now after 2 months on a 1200/1200 calcium/magnesium supplement by Rainbow Light-with enzymes that aid digestion-has mostly subsided.

J

I want to thank all of you for posting your experiences with Yasmin/Yaz!! I am going to the Dr. for my annual female physical and was going to request with Yaz or Loestrin 24 to help with my perimenopausal symptoms. There is no way in HE** that I will take Yaz after what I've read here.

I am wondering if those of you who have low magnesium levels are having trouble with insomnia?

I've been on Yasmin for... honestly I'm not sure... at least a year, maybe closer to two years. I started (and still am) taking Yasmin because I had such painful periods that my doctor thought birth control pills would help.
At first I loved Yasmin and didn't have any problems... my periods were shorter and not as painful, and I didn't have any side affects that I could see.

This time last year, I developed insomnia, and I am someone who NEVER has had problems sleeping. There was alot going on in my household and I thought it was from stress... I finally ended up DROPPING OUT of high school in my senior yaer and doing independent study because I had depression, anxiety and insomnia that kept me from attending and I was at risk of not graduating. I took sleeping pills for awhile, but eventually my insomnia went away and I could function more. In addition to insomnia, I developed severe depression that kept me home and I stopped contact with all of my friends, stopped doing the things that I loved and my personality disappeared completely. This, too, went away after some time and I developed new symptoms.

Around summertime, I started getting daily headaches that were annoying. These annoying headaches turned into SEVERE migraines that would land me in the hospital... at one point I was in so much pain I remember thinking that I would rather die than deal with these headaches any longer. Daily migraines kept me home and my social life ended completely. Just like my insomnia, after awhile, my migraines got better and went away, although they come back sometimes (as well as my insomnia)... like a few times a month.

Now (in the past 2-3 months), I've been getting sicker and sicker and I had no idea why until I found this website. I have muscle pain and weakness 24/7, and when I'm not at work I'm laying on my couch at home and I don't do ANYTHING anymore... I don't go out with my friends, I don't want to get dressed, my room is the messiest it's been in years because I have no energy to clean it and I feel like I'm going crazy. My doctors have recently tested me for mono, diabetes, underactive thyroid, and a few other diseases and have found nothing. In addition to these symptoms I've had (periodically) experienced:

*ringing in my ears - enough to make me stop what i'm doing and make sure my ears are still working.
*chest pains
*numbness in parts of my body - usually when I'm falling asleep... the other night my lips went numb for a few seconds.
*severe acid reflux
*stomach problems - unexplained constipation and diarhhea without changing diet or anything else.
*faintness - i've nearly passed out two different times in the past two weeks, and i've never passed out in my life.
*muscle pain 24/7
*muscle weakness
*what i call "mini migraines" - i don't get the pain of a migraine, but i get slight nausea and the odd sensations or disorientation that i normally get before a migraine. for three weeks i would randomly get these "episodes" where everything looked strange and then that would develop into a mini anxiety attack.
*anxiety attacks - i've never been a person with much nervousness or anxiety but have experienced at least one full-blown attack in the past 2 months.
*dizziness - sometimes out of nowhere, and sometimes it wakes me up at night.
*nausea - for a month straight, every morning when i woke up i would feel nauseous... but like every other symptom, it eventually went away.
*loss of appetite - just in the past week. i force myself to eat but honestly have no appetite. last night i went to bed without dinner because of it.

These are most of the physical side affects that bother me on a regular basis, and after finding this website I have decided to stop taking Yasmin completely.

My thoughts go out to the ladies who are so completely ill that they have sickness every single day because of this pill. I think that it should be taken off of the market. Obviously certain pills don't work for certain people, but this website is proof that this pill could be deadly in many cases.