Yasmin and insomnia

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'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?

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.

hi kim, have you tried clicking the link from this page or are you using the link i sent you in my email? i would really love you to post your story on the new forum. I think silke is right,when the ladies are back to their old selves they stop visiting this site,it's a shame because it would give us hope if we knew a complete recovery was possible,maybe the fact that they don't need this site anymore should be all the proof we need that recovery is possible?
I had insomnia for quite a while when i 1st stopped yasmin, i used to drink a couple of cups of strong chamomile tea before bed,i found that helped a lot and the other thing that helped was not stressing that i couldn't sleep, i would just say to myself oh well i will just lay here and read or one of my favourite things was to lay there in the dark and think of as many wonderful images as i could come up with,like a lovely sandy beach or a gorgeous log cabin in the snow or playing in the sun with my kids being happy and laughing.i got to a stage where i would almost look forward to nights that took me longer to get to sleep but ironically once i got to that stage i would fall asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow!

Hi Sarah

I too cant seem to get to the site to post

I agree with Dejay are their alot or any people who took Yaz or Yasmine who feel like they did prior to the pill. Maybe whoever said well they probably dont come back to this site when they are better I hope thats right

I dont want to feel like a different person

I loved who I was

Is anyone having insomnia?
I do every night now I think from the Lexapro my sister said to stop it but Iam terrified every which way I turn

I too have the butterfly fluttering in areas of my body what is that???

Took Estrostep (sp?) from May until early October. Constant bleed thru. I'm only on BC for acne. Started taking Yasmin and within 2 weeks was having trouble sleeping and loss of appetite. In a month I was depressed, anxious, and second guessing every decision. I'm taking no other medications and and before this I was a happy, productive, college student. Last Sunday morning I woke up and decided to look up "side effects" of Yasmin. After discussionwith my parents i decided to stop the Yasmin immediately. It's been a week now - how long before before these feelings of anxiety and panic abate? I have been to see my family doctor and he was supportive of my decision but advised that it might take up to a month for everything to be out of my system. Any one else have the symtoms and for how long after quiting?

Ok... Here is my complete list of side effects from this horrible drug...
Major depression, anxiety attacks, rapid heart rate, insomnia, shortness of breath, jerking arms and legs, weight gain, bloating, paranoia, excessive crying spells, night sweats. I hate this pill! Im never going to be on birth control again!
Tracy

hi syberlib. great ode to yasmin the "peril in pill form" !
i find it really weird that some people get symptoms when they stop yasmin,did you have any troublesome symptoms whilst taking it?
i was the opposite. i had dizziness,insomnia,depression,MAJOR anxiety,panic attacks,tingling and jumping limbs and restless legs as well as a sense of being smothered then there was also the ever present headache! as soon as i stopped taking it within days i felt phsically much better.the palpitations got less and less as did the headaches and the jumping,shaky feeling. The anxiety is proving to be a tough customer. although it is still there it is manageable most of the time and certainly getting less as time goes on. i have been off yasmin 8 months now. maybe age and childbirth are factors,i had taken dianette on and off since i was 14 up to the age of 22 and i never had a problem with it.never gained weight,got spots,heavy periods,nothing,it was perfect although i never stayed on it for more than 18months at a time as i have always been a little worried about the long term effects of messing with nature! i did not go back onto BCP's after the birth of my 1st child, A) because i didn't know when i wanted to start trying for my second and B) because my sex drive had gone into "park" i just couldn't be bothered so it seemed like a waste of time being on bcp's. after i had my second child i breast fed for a year then my doc put me on yasmin the new "wonder drug" he was right about the "wonder" part. within six months i "wondered" what the hell had happened to me. i was a shaky,poorly mental wreck.!!!!!
i have no idea what yasmin really does to the body but it has some really weird side effects. when i went to have blood tests when i was still on yasmin my blood was really thick,in fact the nurse asked if i was taking any blood thinning agents,i said no and she said i should be!! when i had another test 6 months after i stopped yasmin it was normal again as it had been before yasmin.??? not sure if it is linked but it was just another odd thing that has only happened whilst on yasmin. The heart flutterings also seem to be really common. i read a report on the side effects of yasmin i found on the english government site and it had a major number of pulmanary embolisms listed as reported effects,they were reported by medical staff not members of the public so some doctors somewhere know this stuff is poison. they pulled some of the older brands saying they caused blood clots and strokes etc but yasmin seems to be just as bad if not worse! i never heard of any of these side effects with the older brand of pill.the worst you got was a bit of bloating and maybe some weight gain and if you were one of the really unluck ones maybe a DVT.

once again i have ended up writting a hugely long post,i never mean to but once i start ranting about this devil in white i can't stop!

Thanks Tracy!

It began with depression, anxiety and insomnia. Abdominal pains and constipation followed. Then on December 19th the jitters started. I was driving (4 kids in the car) and I suddenly thought I was having a heart attack! There was this fluttery feeling in my chest and I felt dizzy, like I might faint. I was terrified. That was what led me to research Yasmin withdrawal online and was when I found this wonderful site. It was so comforting to read that other women had experienced the same symptoms (and hadn't had heart attacks!) The jitters got worse before they got better. The fluttery feeling spread to my arms and legs and I twitched in the night, plus I had restless legs. However that is now much improved. I suspect it may vary with my cycle though and may come back just after my next period (which was the timing on the last one.)

Hope that helps.

Anna

Anxiety
Shakiness/dizziness
Fluttery feeling in chest/arms/legs
More insomnia
Abdominal pain
Constipation

Anna I have/had all of this!!!!
Still do even on Lexapro

Anna here again.

I don't think the hormone imbalances caused my stroke. I think Yasmin did in the way that OCs have a risk of doing, by causing a clot to form. I suspect Yasmin carries a higher risk of blood clotting than other OCs but I can't prove that.

I had a ton of tests done at the ER. Lots of blood work. An ECG (which is the same thing as an EKG I think. Probably what they mean is they're going to put you on one for 24 hours using a Holter monitor? I had that.) A CT scan and later an MRI of my brain. A Chest radiograph. A Carotid Artery ultrasound. (I'm copying from my notes!)

After being released from hospital I had a Trans Esophagal Echo (which found the hole) and a 24 hour brain scan (which was yukky and found nothing.)

I can't remember when my OB-GYN switched me to Yasmin but it was still considered 'new' then. I know it was by Fall 2003 so I was on it for at least 3 years. I'm 38.

These are the things I suspect Yasmin caused when I was on it:

Depression
Insomnia
Hypothyroidism
Increased Heart Murmur
Stroke

And this is what I've been suffering in the way of withdrawal effects/ hormonal imbalance:

Anxiety
Shakiness/dizziness
Fluttery feeling in chest/arms/legs
More insomnia
Abdominal pain
Constipation

Oh what a joyous little pill it is...

Anna

I was on it for maybe 5 years, then I stopped taking it mid-cycle in September because I had a mini-stroke!

I wondered if my current problems are related to a hormonal imbalance caused by stopping taking Yasmin?

I suffer from: insomnia, lightheadedness, a fluttery feeling in my chest, weakness in my hands, tingling feet on waking, anxiety and depression, abdominal pain worse during periods, constipation etc. etc.

What can I do to help myself? How long is this going to last? (I'm 38.)

Thanks

Anna

HI ALL! I am back! I tried to stay away from this site and just not think about my problems at all....but yet..this site helps me so much! Just an update: I have been off of Yasmin 15 months now. Physically, I look great and am in pretty good shape. Mentally, I am STILL fighting the anxiety. My symptoms are weakness, vomiting (always in the morning), nervousness enough to make me crazy although no panic attacks anymore, sleepiness, and minor aches and pains in head and muscles. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping as well due to the nervousness. I take Clonazepam occasionally (not very often at all), and exercise as much as I can stand. I recently went back to the doctor for the vomiting and nervousness and they also gave me Lexapro. I was also terrified of it. I was so disappointed they gave me something like that, I actually BECAME depressed over having to take it. Needless to say, it is still sitting on the counter unopened. If you are taking Lexapro, is it helping you???? Please let me know! Would you start taking something like that when you have already been off 15 months (although anxiety is low grade, it is constant!)?
Virginia

Kim123 - you poor thing, I will have you in my thoughts.

My main side effect has been SEVERE panic attacks and anxiety that of course comes with insomnia, nausea & chest pains.

I am trying very hard to recover without further medication and I'm trying to do it on my own. Sarah, another lovely lady on this site, has been very helpful in regards to this and has suggested some helpful tips.

Have you tried perhaps going to a homeopathic doctor? I tried that and he gave me some teas to help with my nerves, I just started yesterday and I think I need to give them about a week to find out if they work.

I also have an overwhelming feeling of sadness, for no reason at all. I'm just hoping it passes soon. I have been off this pill for three months, and I also took it for three months - so cheer up your recovery time may be less than mine.

All the best kim, and my advice is to distract yourself, keep busy doing things like washing dishes. I know sometimes you feel there's nothing that will help at which point all I did was cry hysterically and cry and cry, after that believe it or not I did feel a bit better.

If anyone has completely recovered, please let us know how many months you have been off yasmin.

Good luck ladies.

Claudia.

Hi everyone, so glad to find this website. I am a 28 year old mother of 2 and married. I really need some help. I am so scared of being committed in an institution. I was on Aleese for 2 1/2 years and then switched to Yasmin. I was on Yasmin almost 2 months but could not finish it. First severe abdominal cramps started with constipation, then frequent urination, like every half hour. Then the real nightmare happend. The severe anxiety and depression. For the first time in my entire life I was not able to sleep. I had total insomnia due to bad muscle aches and body jerking. I have been off for 3 wks exactly and still have the body jerking everytime I try to fall asleep. I never had anything like this before. The only time I can sleep is when I take Xanax which was prescribed for me after taking Yasmin. Now I keep thinking I am dying of something horrible like a brain tumor. I lost 4lbs which is not good. I was only 94lbs to begin with. The anxiety is so bad, I can't even function. I feel awful. I went to a Chropractor for the first time yesterday and he can't believe how tight my muscles are. What in the world could be causing these sleep jerks at night. I never ever had anything wrong with me. All of these symptoms started within a week of taking Yasmin. I am so angry. I am on no b/c pills now. Is it normal to have all of these side effects? What about the muscle jerking at night. I am so scared. I can't even take care of my kids. My health has just been declining in the last 2 months. I am so afraid I will not get through this. any help would be greatly appreciated

Wow. I don't remember when my doc first gave me Yasmin, and I have no records since he's always given me samples. Hopefully it's in my charts. I've taken it on and off over the last year or so. Last October/November I had horrible anxiety/insomnia - never had anxiety before in my life. Then in April I started with IBS. I also get mild migraines (like right now). I never thought it would be my birth control until i noticed a precipitous drop in my libido and vaginal moisture - it's been low for months but lately I can't even "have relations" with my SO because I can't get lubricated at ALL. He thinks it's his fault. I finally started looking into Yasmin as the reason for my sexual dysfunction (I'm only 27 btw), but never expected the anxiety and IBS to enter the picture.

Jeez. And of course I just took the first pill for this month. If I stop taking it now, even after just one pill, I'll just get my period again, won't I?

Bingo Bitter RN!

I had trouble sleeping for about the last 3 weeks (very weird dreams and just somehow agitated and anxious), I felt about 30 years older than in the past few months and my concentration is so low, that it sometimes really "hurts" to think about complex things or read something or watch television. Everything my brain has to do is so exhausting!!

Even cooking the meals seems to be overwhelming to my head. About 2 days ago I felt like I was going to faint after cooking a meal with lots of vegetables and other ingredients (I had a lot to cut up small and to prepare). I thought I could not finish it, because my brain wouldn't be able to work any longer and my eyes couldn't fix a point!!

For another example: We are due to getting our house completed (the upper floor (attic) is still not ready) and had an architect here about 3 days ago. It was so exhausting for me to think about his plans and get anything together in my head (imagining how the rooms will be and what should be changed in his plans and so on...). After that discussion my head felt totally drained out and I felt so tired and dizzy, I nearly was about to faint!! It was so frightening!!

And also that "eye problems" are there again!! As the last poster wrote: << ...feels like severe eye strain or I'm going cross eyed>> BINGO! That's exactly how it feels to me too!!! Yesterday I had problems at our weekly shopping. It was so hard to look around and find the things I was searching for in the supermarket!!

And today my brain feels, as if it was still "asleep" somehow and couldn't be waked up by nothing!! Feels a little like comatose (dazed and sleepy)...

I'm so astound and a bit relieved (ok, though not about the fact, that you, guest, are also still suffering from Yasmin while you were only on it for 2 months!! This is so shocking....), that there really is someone, who still has the same problems as me!! And how you explained your problems AFTER your period: I felt EXACTLY that way after my first period in August 2006 (anxiety, dizzyness, weakness!!)!!! But those problems went away again than in about 2 weeks or so.

OMG, ladies, this all sounds so relieving! After reading your posts (guest and bitterRN) there really is some hope for me, that I'll be better again in a few days/weeks and I won't be going down the hill again constantly like it was about 2 years ago (in that time I still was ON Yasmin)!!

BitterRN, You've asked, if anything has changed since that first heavy period in August. Yes, I must admit that I had more stress than usual during the last months because of the band practices we had (even joined a new band on top of my other band) and I started performancing again with both of them (had already about 6 gigs in the last 3 months). I had a lot of work to do in my job (MUCH more than usual!! I'm working as an attorney's secretary). And surely not to forget the stress, that your body has during a virus infection or bad cold, which I had in starts October...

I also realized, that my weight, which was constantly going down for about the last 8 months (about 1 kg per month) has a bit levelled off. It didn't rise again but it also didn't go down very much more, which is absolutely unusual (did not eat more than before!!).

So I think my next thing to do is getting my hormones checked again. Well, if there's no specialist here in Germany, I think I'll get that test done at my gyn and try to get a copy of the results to go on with the research by myself. I'll surely visit the website you've mentioned, BitterRN, and see, what I can get there!!

Ladies, thank you again so much!! I don't know how I would be feeling right now without your encouraging tips and kind words!!

Thank you, guest, for praying for me!! I'm sure it will help, as it already did somehow in the past 2 years!!!

God bless you all and stay strong. I'll try it, too!!

And all of you ladies, please keep in touch. I think there are so many women out there who need your/our help!! Especially those, who got off Yasmin more than 1 year ago, please keep up posting and telling us, how you're doing, just to spread a bit of hope to everyone and finally find a resolution of our still lasting hormonal problems after that Yasmin chaos!!

love,
Silke

Hello All,

I am now on day 10 off Yasmin. Yesterday, I had the most emotional day since getting off the Yasmin. I had all these PMS symptoms...my breasts ached terribly! I still have insomnia. And I was a crying mess yesterday.

I went to my gyno yesterday as well and she said I was the first woman to come to her with these "complaints" about Yasmin. I felt so stupid...especially since I had seen her just two months earlier thinking I had a yeast infection. (Infact, it was simply the extreme dryness from the Yasmin.) I simply never thought the stuff going on with me (hair falling out, insomnia, zero sex drive..) had anything to do with my gynecological health...so didn't mention it. I just thought it was "me". So bizarre how this all works out.

Luckily, my boyfriend is being very supportive and realizes this is my detox period. I'll have good days and bad days. :(

Has anyone else suffered from this insomnia? And when does it stop?? I can honestly say, I can only remember 2 specific nights in the last 5 or so months that I had a solid nights sleep. :(

P.S. I am looking into getting the Copper IUD. I got a lot of information about it..I just need to check and see if my insurance company will cover it. IF they do not cover the IUD, I will have to pay for it out of pocket. It'll be around $750 total to get it inserted. While it's a lot of money upfront, the IUD is good for 10 years. So it will pay for itself in less than 2 years...seeing as my health insurance doesn't pay much for my BC. I was paying $40 a month anyway. ugh. The injustice. :(

I came across this site last week after finally getting fed up with vaginal dryness/painful intercourse that my obgyn couldn't explain. (She put me on yeast infection medicine..but obviously, that wasn't the problem.) It hit me all at once that my weird, very uncharacteristic crying spells (ex. unable to complete sentences without feeling like tears are welling up)....to extreme anger and a flared temper....to a recent fainting/diarrhea spell...to overnight changing my feelings completely on having children, to hating my job!! (I mean really...my feelings are ALL over the place.)I've never been one to blame things on others or for this matter, a pill. But I realized that a lot of my strange personality changes may really be attributed to the Yasmin. I have had insomnia for the last 4 months...which I've also never ever experienced before. In general, I've become a worrier and feel all around numb and no love for myself or my boyfriend. And for no reason. It's putting a real damper on our relationship actually. I told him about this site and explained what I've been dealing with...silently for the most part because I thought it was just me. So I guess we'll have to wait it out....I started taking Yasmin in November 2005...and now in retrospect...can start adding up small changes to my personality starting back in Feb. 2006. My last pill was this Friday. I'm day 6 off Yasmin and have my period this week. I am not going to go back on the Yasmin this weekend. (after my period ends) I'm afraid to go on any hormonal birth control because of the way this affected me so badly. In a way, I feel like I may have never been "myself" around my boyfriend. We started dating in Dec. 2005, and I had started it a month before. Does this make sense? I had been on OrthoTryCyclen a long time ago....and remember when I moved to England...I got off of it and felt as though my feelings in general went from black and white to colorful and vibrant. I think I'm going to explore non hormonal options from here on in. I've done some research on IUD's. In particular, the copper IUD.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble ladies. My point is to say thank you for speaking up. I come and look at this site everyday to just remind myself that I'm not alone. And that I can look forward to feeling myself again one day. And mostly, that feelings of butterflies and happiness will come back to my relationship with my boyfriend. Who is simply wonderful. Just a fantastic guy.
Keep those chins up ladies!
Vicki

I started taking Yasmin 11 months ago for PCOS. In addition to the Yasmin, I am taking spirolactine and metformin. I have all of the symptoms above....the depression, the anxiety, the unexplained insomnia, the lack of sex drive (I had a major sex drive before Yasmin...it's at ZERO at this point.) and extreme vaginal dryness/painful intercourse. At first I thought I had a yeast infection...and that's what my doctor chalked it up to. And finally I sat down with my boyfriend to find out if Yasmin was the cause of the vaginal dryness....because we checked out the other two drugs I'm taking...and low and behold I found ALL these horrible blogs referring to Yasmin and it's side effects. My question to all of you though...is whether you immediately switched to another birth control pill? And if so...what do you guys recommend? I used Ortho TriCyclen for a long time and don't remember any terrible side effects like this.
Thanks.