Yasmin and knowing

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

I have been on Yasmin for about 9 months now and my side effects keep getting worse. I think it is time to try something esle but I am scared of what side effects I may have from a different pill. I feel tired ALL the time. It doesn't matter if I sleep 8 or 10 hours a night. On the weekends I take naps with my kids and still nothing! I have no desire to go to work and the only thing that gets me out of bed are knowing my kids need me. I could stay in bed and sleep all day. It is scary!!! The past 3-4 months I have noticed a few days before my period I get really depressed and am very emotional. For those few days every month I hate my life and everything seems to go wrong. I have never been one to have a pity party for myself but those few days I feel like the world is against me. I thought maybe I have some kind of problem and need to go to the doctor but after reading this and really thinking about when I started feeling so tired all points to the Yasmin. It amazes me that so many other people have problems. I am really going to my doctors now! Good Luck to you all.

Hi all...WOW, hard to believe that so many of us are experiencing similar side effects.

I started taking Yasmin almost 2 1/2 weeks ago. Two days after I started taking it, I noticed I was starting to get nauseous, brief sharp shooting pains in my abdomen just under my left rib and sometimes a wee bit of a burning sensation in the same area. These sharp but brief pains occur anywhere from 4 times to maybe 15 or 20 times in a day and I almost NEVER when I am just sitting still or laying down. These pains are almost always in the same spot so I find it hard to believe it could be from gas although I AM much gassier. Wouldn't gas pains travel? I find I am burping alot and just generally gassy feeling. The other thing I noticed is that I dropped 8 pounds in the first 5 days of taking Yasmin. WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?

I pretty much have to continue taking BC because my doctor put me on them to see if they would stop my epileptic seizures which occur only when I ovulate. We are testing to see if stopping ovulation will stop the seizures. They think it is all related to peri-menopause. I'm 48. Sheeesh. Does anyone else have these sharp intermittent shooting pains under their ribs???? This is scaring me.

I am 23 and I was taking yasmin for a little over 4 years and decided to take a break from it. It has been nearly two months and i haven't had a period yet. I had symptoms a few times and thought it was on its way but no luck. I panicked and took a pregnancy test three times to be sure and they were all negative. It feels strange not knowing whats going on and why. Im all over the place and stressed out so much that my hair has started falling out which my GP says is nothing to worry about. Easy knowing he's a man.

to the last poster:

You may be right, everyone reacts different on medications and other things.

But let me just mention this:

This would have been exactly the post I could have written after only about 6 months on this stuff..... I LOVED my Yasmin and wouldn't have heard on anyone who told me any negative about it!!!!

About 2 years later I had my first breakdown, after another 2 years the second, very severe breakdown and since then my life has never been the same as before!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a total hormonal wreck, still not knowing if I'll ever be healthy and fit again in my life (and I'm only 32!!!).

So I think it's absolutely worth thinking twice about taking this special bcp. It definitely seems to be causing more and espcially more serious side effects than other bcp's with other hormones in it!!!

Please be careful with that stuff!! There's so many other bcp's on the market, perhaps with less side effects (I've been on bcp for 5 years before Yasmin and never had any problems like that!!!) And I wouldn't wish my experience to my worst enemy....... :´(

Since about 4 years I'm only "existing", not really "living" because of severe hormonal problems caused by Yasmin (BEFORE taking that stuff I was a happy outgoing positive person, and I turned into an anxious, weak, unsure and hormonal affected wreck)!!!!!!

hi guest 39725.
you poor thing,it sounds like you have had a terrible years, i would certainly question whether or not yaz is right for you,it has not been proven to be any more effective than any other bcp on the market so if you have any doubts about it i would say swap.there are too many "ingredients" in this pill that mess with you both physically and mentally and it sounds like you have already suffered enough at the hands of your hormones to have yet another pill wreck your life. i have set up another website for women to chat to each other about their problems from using yasmin or yaz,unfortunaltely the promoters of this site have asked me not to post the link anymore,you may still find it either here or on the "forum page.it is called yasmin survivors. it would be lovely to hear from you and also it has been a great source of help and comfort for many women,you can talk about your hormones,your health,your life or or anything you like,it just helps to chat to other women who know what you are feeling and what you are going through,just knowing you are not alone can make a big difference to your life.
******

best wishes.
sarah

lulubae,

Without knowing how long you have been on yasmin, many women here, in over 3,058 results had trouble with libido. LIkely due to the suppresent of adrenal glands, the diuretic, and the change in natural hormone as Yasmin contains a synthetic homrone-drsp-a diuretic actually.

Without knowing how old you are, and having been on bcp's much of my life and now only coming to understanding the problems and risks and suffering from being on yamsin for only 1.5 years-its a hell of a pill-I'd reccomend diagphragm or cervical cap. Or practicing naturally by time of month.

the hormones and bcps just not worth the toll they ultimately take on your system. While its so easy to pop a pill every day, it really is, loaded with side effects.

Hope that helps. Read through this and anything you can find on bcp side effects. It adds up.

I had a complete metabolic check and all of my counts were fine except my sodium was down 1 point I only took Yaz for 3 weeks byt it screwed me up!

Iam still not the same me and I have been off 7 weeks now.

I was anemic going into Yaz can you believe my doctor gave me Yaz knowing I had Anemia so that may be why Iam sufferring more thean some. My iron is back up 10 12.8 now but it was low when I went on Yaz.

Thoughts

hi kim123.
i was on yasmin for 1.5 years and i stopped taking it in june of 2006 so am just coming up 8 months off yasmin. it seems that the longer it was taken for the longer the annoying side effects hang about. with regards to your anxiety you really need to break the pattern otherwise it becomes a habit and the body just excepts it as the norm to feel this way. i had this problem and still do to a certain extent although i am much better now, i still have to constantly check myself if i have negative or doubtful thoughts. my worry is always that i will have a panic attack in public and of course the one thing that is sure to bring on a panic attack is the worry that it will happen so i have to say,panic attacks have never hurt me they just feel uncomfortable and that i will deal with it if it happens and just knowing that means that it has not happened,but i know i will cope if it does.
please keep posting so we know how you are getting on.

sarah

hi ladies,this is a question for silke or sophie or any of the ladies who have suffered muscle weakness.
This is not really a side effect that i had badly when i was taking yasmin but i am mid cycle again (i seem to get something new every midcycle and end up here asking questions!) i have a really really weak left arm,to the point that i am even having trouble lifting it to type this question. i was holding a hamper earlier on in the day for about 20 mins but it was not really all that heavy but now my arm just seems as though it has no strength at all...just wondering if this is another side effect or if it something completely new to hinder my recovery! has anyone else experienced this? i have been off yasmin for nearly 8 months now.

sarah

p.s silke how are things now????? are you back on the road to recovery.please let us know how you are doing,i often think about how you are doing and if you are back singing with your band.i always look forward to reading your posts and knowing that you are still getting better each day.

Yeah, see - I did pretty well on it for about six months: only side effects were feeling like I had a cold and nasty discharge. It's when I got OFF of it that all hell broke loose! I'm absolutely MISERABLE and wondering WHEN WILL THIS ANXIETY GO AWAY?? I started Loestrin on Sunday and I'm PRAYING it levels me out before I go stark raving mad... (Knowing my luck, it'll just make things worse.)

thanks murph70.
you are quite right, my backache is also by far the least bothersome of my post yasmin symptoms! i just wondered how many people suffered the same effect,it's unbeleivable how many aspects of your body can be effected by your hormones,i must admit i was completely ignorant or their effects before my yasmin experience prompted me to look into it. knowing what i do now i will never mess with my hormones artificially again!

I too have suffered sever side effects from yasmin.

Has anyone thought of ever seeing if they can gradually reduce the dose instead of abrubtly going off them? It only seems to make sense to me that this would help with some of the side effects of the withdrawls. I know lots of medications that you have to gradually reduce dosage or the side effects can be severe. I would think this would be especially true for hormonal drugs such as birth control?

I want to stop taking my Yasmin and birth control all together, but knowing how this drug has effected me while taking it, I have to believe my body will be thrown all out of whack when I stop and I am considering a gradual reduction in dosage, maybe taking only half or taking it every other day since there is no "prescribed" method out there to do so?

Has anyone tried this or have any thoughts on this they can share?

Flowerbabies (and everyone else),
You have helped me so much. Just knowing that I am not alone is biggest part. I think you have made a good point that it is all about control. When I have those grim thoughts, I often wonder if I am going to spin out of control. Thus, the panic attacks. I have to remember that I have not lost control before, and know that I would never actually do the things that my brain conjures up. I am still horrified that Yasmin can do this to a person! Anyway, I appreciate your words, because it took a lot for me to write about that. That, in my opinion, has been the worst part of this for me. It felt like hell. That and feeling numb. Looking at my loved ones (and my cat!) and feeling nothing was awful. I am so happy to say that everyday I feel like I am coming back to life and have started feeling again. I will never take true emotions for granted again! But I am so glad that I shared this part of my story, because if it can help someone feel to not feel as alone, I have done the right thing. Again, thank you to everyone who posts here. In my hardest moments, this site kept me going. Bless all of you!

Hi Worries

Have stopped taking Yasmin now for only 2 or 3 weeks and feel completely different. My sex drive is compeltely back to normal, my hair is not falling out nearly as badly as before and my mood has lifted considerably so I think for me some of the side effects have been alleviated quite quickly.

The only thing I am finding is that I have had pain in my abdomen for the last week with no explanation - anyone else experienced this since coming off the pill??

I still have the problem of knowing what other BCP to buy as these are bought over the counter where I live and I have noone to ask about a more suitable pill. The GP´s in my country have no interest in discussing them and there is a bit of a language barrier anyway.

I am sure that your daughter will return to her normal self and with continued support from you and her boyfriend she will recover quickly. She has the added benefit of being young too, which I am sure will help.

Dear Ladies,
I am with you on all the side effects too. It is quite funny that every time I talked to my doctor about possibly changing the pill or getting off of it, he'd say, "just wait so many months, and it'll will all get normal." I waited, and the only thing that was changing was that I was somehow just getting used to the symptoms, but they were not going anywhere.
I had problems with my digestive tract, kidneys, had lot of headaches and migraines, ongoing fatigue, lost of motivation, PANICK ATTACKS (was paranoid about many things) etc.
I started pill April 2006 and stopped August 2006. One the many doctors I have been to was a kinesiologist/chiropractor, and after assessing my body he recommended that I need (without even knowing I was on a pill) complex of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium. These supplements along with a regular (!) exercise, plus some medicaiton like Valerian for soothing the nerve system really did help in the relieving the symptoms. Good luck ladies. I hope you all feel!
Will-o-thewisp

voicesi,

Thanks so much for you insight...I really needed it this week. I have been feeling like these things will never go away. I take great comfort in knowing that you have had the same things and that I just need to be patient and wait it out, which will be better anyway than what I had to deal with being on Y. I will look forward to feeling better and back to "normal" everyday. Thanks much!

Kendra

Hello Everybody,

I just wanted to remind those you are suffering from anxiety, panic attacks to go check your thyroid levels. I have found that a lot of women suffer from thyroid trouble without knowing it. You just need a simple blood test.

I stopped Yasmin and then had an over active thyroid that causes nervousness, anxiety and heart palpitations. I suffered immensely with these issues plus total lack of appetite, nausea, etc.. etc

Jen

I feel like Yasmin ruined my life.

I went on the pill in May of 2005, first 2 months I was fine. Summer of '05 rolled around and I was nauseous every night. I also felt like I had anxiety issues, and started crying every night (especially while watching the news, haha.)

Septemper of '05 I started having extreme chest pains. I went to a Doctor away at school, and was told I had acid reflux disease.

Not knowing the cause of Acid Reflux (I was originally told it could be an onset of stress,) when I returned from school during Christmas break, and went to my regular MD, who said it was a possibility I got it from the Yasmin. When I confronted my (now FORMER) gyno, she said she had "never heard of such."

Finally home from school for good this spring, I got a few tests done and switched to a new gyno. Turns out the problem was my YASMIN. My MD AND new gyno both told me that in the past few months they have had tons of people come in with numerous problems from Yasmin, and that everyone is getting off of it. (Most likely from their "extra" chemical they brag about during the commercials.)

It's disappointing I had to suffer a year of my life from being nauseous all of the time, crying every night for no reason, and STILL having severe cramps even though the pill was "supposed" to help.

Yasmin has been nothing but a nightmare for me, and tonight I start LoEstrin 24. Hopefully I won't have to comment on this site about LoEstrin's side effects, but I have to say I was kind of relieved to read that I wasn't the only one who had SO many issues with this pill. :/

hi all,just a quick update. i have been off yasmin for 5 weeks now and just had my 1st normal period..... woo hooo! i am feeling sooo much better now i am off that stuff. my anxiety levels have dropped to virtually nil,panic attacks are getting better,i haven't had a headache for about 3 weeks,my facial numbness is getting better and less frequent, my bowels are getting back to normal and i just feel happier in myself and more able to cope with whatever may come along. i jst wanted to post this to give hope to all of you that are suffering...it just keeps getting better and better,it may take a week or it may take a year but just knowing that it will get better will keep you going.

abs528,
how are you doing,you have not posted for a while? you must be nearly a month free of yasmin now,is the anxiety easing? i really hope that you are doing better.

Hey abs,

I KNOW it's not just you!!! Believe me!!! Your last post could have been written by me about 10 to 11 months ago!! I felt the same weird things without knowing how to go on any longer... There were days, where I really thought I'd go crazy with all that strange thoughts and fears and I also had doubts every day, if it's really all caused by Yasmin or if it's just me. And a few days I really thought it was just me. But now I know IT WASN'T just me!!!

And one thing I also remember is, that the only thing, which helped me through those hard days was reading the posts on this site or post here by myself. Without the help of those ladies here I wouldn't have gotten where I'm now, I swear!! They always kept telling me, that it WILL get better and all I need is TIME and PATIENCE. And they were so right!!!

So please, don't loose your faith (I know that might seem very hard in the situation you are now in!!!) and chin up!! I know you have the strength to get through this and become the person you have been before that Yasmin nightmare!!

Big hugs and god's bless!!

Silke

Hi everyone...

wow finding this site has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders... I have been on Yasmin for a month now, and it was incredible the first few days i took it i felt a deep depression, but knowing that the pill can someonetimes do this i let it pass and continued.
I have been generally down the past few weels but nothing too bad, but lately i have goten this cold and i am feeling incredibly depressed... its overwhelming and i feel like i cant and dont want to do a thing.. I've also felt like my relationship with my boyfriend is falling apart, even tho there is no reason to believe this as we have a fantastic relationship and i have no complaints... has this happened to others? please let me know. Thanks,
Kathy

Well, I'm from Germany and I don't know if I can get such a test here to. But I'll search google tomorrow (it's already very late here and I'm a bit tired to go and search for it now)!! But it really sounds very interesting!!

Did you have problems with your muscles, too?? That was one of my biggest problems (muscle fasciculations and weakness) and it is still not gone completely. Somedays some of my muscles like arms or legs feel very weak...

I blamed these symptoms mostly on the loss of vitamines and minerals that Yasmin definitely has caused in my body (I had been taking that stuff for over 5 years...... with sometimes feeling better and sometimes feeling really miserable without knowing why.....!!).

And it seems to be very difficult to get back in balance for my whole system as I'm still suffering from some of the symptoms after being off Yasmin for so long (February 2005)!!

I'll post again if I find someting similar to that saliva test you told about, here in Germany!!

Thanks again for your always very helpful and delighting posts, Bitter RN!!

I wish you all the best and am looking forward to hearing (reading) from you again!!

Silke

I am interested in knowing if anyone has has decreased libido since being on Yasmin? I have been taking it for about 2 years now and itt is starting to really effect me.

Hi dianamal!

The best advise anyone can give you is:

Get off Yasmin immediately!!

I wish anyone of those doctor's would have put 2 and 2 together and recoginzed that early, what was wrong with me!! I think your doc is absolutely right with his opinion!!

As I know now, Yasmin is causing a very heavy loss of minerals and vitamines in your body (well, every bcp does but Yasmin in a very special and heavy way, because of the diuretic "spironolactone" in it!!!), which doesn't show symptoms at once, but very slightly more and more over months and years!!

In my case everyhing began after being about 2 - 3 years on Yasmin! I suddenly became terribly tired, the way, where I thought I would fall down to the floor and fall asleep immediately, I got muscle cramps, muscle hurting, dizzyness and many more symptoms. But NO ONE thought about that wonder pill Yasmin!!! I had thousands of tests done but none of them brought out, what really was causing me such heavy health problems!! They thought it was just an unspecific virus and I had to wait and see, if it would get better as months go on.

And so I went on an on without knowing, what my body already was going through. I just thought, I HAD somehow to get through and go on, but never felt really healthy again!!

Then after about 4 - 5 years on Yasmin (during 2004) everything got worse and worse... Within one year I became weaker and weaker, always very tired, the dizzyspells got almost unbearable, I was very often nauseous without any reason, etc. Then after a heavy cold (I was ill for about 3 weeks and had sweated profusely during that time.... and without knowing that therefore I lost another amount of minerals and vitamines...).

Another 3 horrible months later (I got weaker and weaker month by month!!) I broke down completely with anxiety attacks, heart racing, hurting muscles, muscle cramping, muscle weakness, dizzyspells, fainting spells, and many many more in December 2004. I thought I was about to die.... And no one was able to find out, what was wrong with me!! Until I finally came to an endocrinologist, who admitted, that such heavy symptoms COULD be caused by a bcp and I just had to try and get off it immediately.

And you know what? Bingo!

Now 1 year later I'm feeling so much better. It was a very slow process and a very hard way getting here, I just felt better month per month very slowly with many setbacks and am still not back to 100% but I'm able again to do whatever I want without breaking down completely. And it all got that bad because I didn't know for so long, what Yasmin was already doing to my body and I went on taking that sh.... every evening...

So I just can beg you: GET OFF THAT YASMIN STUFF IMMEDIATELY!!! You got the chance to prevent that my and the story of many other women here will happen to you!!

I don't want to frighten you, but prevent you from experiencing the same hell that many of us did!!!

All the best!!

Silke

@cvl:

You sound just like me about a year ago..... The same things happened to me, but I'd been taking this Yasmin-sh... for very long 5 years and after all I can say, that I have lost 3 years of my life with not knowing, that it was all just this damn pill and I'm still not through (I'm nearly 1 YEAR off this pill now........). So (I know it may sound a bit hard, but...) be thankful that you've recognized it that early, what this pill is doing to you...

Perhaps it would be very helpful to hear, what the doctors in the clinic told you. Looking forward to hear from you again and all the best to you!! It was the right decision to get off Yasmin immediately and you're on the right way!!

@time2chng:

Well, that sounds very hard either... Very bad times you had to go through. And nevertheless I believe, that Yasmin is making everything someone has to go through even worse with causing a total imbalance of hormones and other stuff in your body.

You're asking about another bcp... Well, after my experience with Yasmin I swear I will NEVER take ANY other bcp again!!! I'd rather have 10 children instead of going through such a hell again. And there are so many other ways, like condoms, etc.... Please think twice about what you're doing to your body again with any synthetic hormones....

@lisa:

You sound exactly like me after 3 months off Yasmin..... I wasn't able to work since december 2004 because of my heavy symptoms that either sound just like yours. And at 3 months off Yasmin I thought that this hell would never end and I wouldn't be working again ever in my life!! I swear!! And look at me now: I'm working again since september 2005!! And I'm so happy about that. Because just like you I didn't expect to be able to do that ever again.

At three months I had been asking in this forum the same question as you did: Will this ever get better?? Is it normal to feel that bad after 3 MONTHS off that pill??? And now I can answer it by myself: YES!! It is!!! 3 months off is (I fear) not really very long!! So be sure that it will get better. It seems that there is a "magical" mark at 4 months. I remember that about in may everything changed and I felt slowly getting better!! That was either the first time I went out of my house again (wasn't able to do that between january and avril 2005 at all!!!)

But everyone out there remember: It is a VERY slow process. And there are so many doctors out there telling the women, that it has to be 100% better after 3 months off a pill... Please FORGET that sh......!!! They don't know or should I say "they don't WANT to know" what these synthetic hormones are doing to the women's bodies!!!

I could say that today I'm feeling about 75 to 80% better than a year ago, but I'm still not where I want to be some day again!!

And another thing: For those of you that have either to take care of a child or even some children within that Yasmin mess: I feel so sorry for!! I know what you are going through these times because in my worst days I would'nt have known at all how to handle this either because I didn't get on with MYSELF at all with all the tiredness, dizzyness, weird feelings, anxiety, headaches, exhausted feelings, muscle weakness and so on!! My husband even had to to the housework completely by hisself and even my parents came around nearly every day to take care about me, cooking our meals, and so on, because I even couldn't walk the few stairs up to our living room!! I feel totally with you and wish you all the strenght a person can get to handle this!!

So everyone out there: Hang in, stay strong, you ALL WILL GET BETTER!!

Best wishes and god's bless!!

Silke

two girls mom

have u seen the side effects from MIRENA i had it 6months ago without even knowing what yasmin had done to me and had to have it removed after 3weeks, it wsa horrendous to say the least and guess what it made me feel worse than yasmin and beofre i put two and two together and realised that yasmin was doing what it did to me i went back on the yasmin and hence i found this site (THANK GOD) and knew i was not going crazy i was normal. Mirena is made from the same drug company as yasmin

Lisa

Thanks for answering me, Twogirlsmom, and thanks to everyone else for writing in. Since I posted my first note last night, I feel so much better just knowing that there are other women like me out there. I have been off Yasmin for just over a week. Today I had two very brief panic attacks, but nothing like I was getting before. In about a minute, I was able to calm myself down. I hope that this trend continues! I was also put on Yasmin because I was having heavy, uncomfortable periods, so I was glad to see someone say that there periods didn't get worse when they went off. Can anyone tell me signs to watch for in case there are "permanent" side effects? What might they be? Hang in there everyone--we'll get through it together. Karen

Karen,
I am going through this with you. My last pill was a couple of days ago. I was on Yasmin for under a year.
I feel better knowing that I am not alone. Let's keep each other updated on this site and rely on the ladies that are off of Yasmin for a while to help us along.
I thought I was the only one with these symptoms. This board has been so helpful so far.
Know I am here if you need me. I check in a few times a day, usually.

<<>>

Oh dear, it makes me so angry reading such sh...... told by those "gods in white"........

If I wouldn't have had the internet and hadn't found many sites just like this site here, I think today I would be sitting in a mental hospital taking lots of medicine, antidepressants and god knows what else, perhaps not knowing who I am and what my name is any longer..... I'm so glad I found this site in January 2005 and all my problems finally seemed to be declared at once... And getting better a little step every month after getting off this terrible pill agrees with my decision not to take this poison any longer.....!!!!!!

No doctor I had visited was able to connect my very very heavy problems (for about december 2004 to March 2005 I thought that in a few days I was about to die!!! I'm not exaggerating!!) with this hellsent drug!! Only a female endocrinologist whom I had asked about an eventual connection of my symptoms with the possible side effects of a bcp mentioned that this could be the solution and I had just to try it out and get off this pill immediately. And damn, she was so right!!!!!!

So if I hadn't had the internet I perhaps some day around there would have ended my life by myself, because I had no hope any longer for many many months to ever get better cause no doctor could tell me anything about my problems......

Well, my blood pressure was not constantly very high but went up to about 170 to 100 when I was in stress or anxious (so it happened when I was brought to the ER on January, 1st...). That had never happened to me before in my life!!

The higher heart rate I had for about 4 - 5 months after getting off Yasmin. But remember that every woman is reacting different!! And I had been taking this Yasmin sh.... for 5 years!! The only thing that might help you and give some comfort until your heart rate goes down to normal places might be, to keep in mind, that it's not dangerous (I think you had been done many tests at many doctors before, and everyone of them told you that you're ok...!??). It's very unpleasant but doesn't do any harm to your body so far. That was the thing that helped me not to be too anxious about this symptom (ok, although this was not my biggest problem, there were much heavier symptoms I worried about than this...).

Not to mention, that I had been taking my pulse a hundred times a day, too... ;-)

But today my heart rate is always about 65 to 75 and everything about that has gotten normal again. Sometimes I have little heart palpitations again, but not too heavy and just for a short time...

Hope this helps.

All the best to you ladies out there, and keep us updated. This is the only thing that might help through those hard times!!!

I'll pray for a better and healthier new year for all of us!!

Silke

Well, if I would have had the chance to read such postings and experiences like these here 6 years ago, when I started taking this hellsent drug, without knowing, what I was doing to my body, I would have been very thankful. Ok, I don't know if I would have believed, that the same thing could happen to me, because I had been taking bcp for 5 years before Yasmin without ANY problems!!! But I definitely would have taken the chance and had thrown away the pill package as fast as I could have....

Nobody can say, how your body will react to a bcp, everybody's different. But believe me, there are better ways for bcp and even much better and more riskless pills than that one!!

The first years being on bcp at all (about 11 years ago) I didn't gain ANY weight, I was just about 110 lbs (55 kg in german weight), very slim and healthy. The weight gain after all startet about 4 or 5 years being on bcp very slowly year by year. Well, but still not in that way as under Yasmin!! I just gained about 10 pounds over about 5 years and I could live with that, because I still didn't look fat or plumper.

But seeing different photos of me during my "Yasmin-years" I can see, that every year taking it I started more looking like I was "pumped full" with water or anything else, even in my face and my neck. Everything on my body started looking like pudding. Just a very unnatural look and very unusual for me, like I was always very slim and never had any problems with my weight before!!

And nevertheless I still didn't look as bad as I'm doing now after getting off this hellsent drug. My weight went up 2 dress sizes (40 pounds!!!) within only 3 (!) months!!! I was so shocked, because I never had looked like this before.

Altogether I can say now, that taking bcps has made me go up the amount of 50 pounds in weight and never eating more than before or doing anything else different than before!! I don't have to tell you, that I'm no longer feeling like the old me.... and that just besides all the other health problems and not really living for about 3 years now, not to mention the 8 months since december last year, when I really thought, my life would end...!!! (And still not really back to normal after 8 months of not taking this poison!!! Well, 5 years of taking Yasmin have taken their tribute....)

So please don't only think twice but triple ore more about taking this Yasmin stuff any longer!!! It's not too late now to stop!!

Best wishes and take care!!

Silke

Hi there everyone,

the more i read the more blown away i am with all these horrible symptoms that i thought i was doing it alone.
Can i ask anyone, i stopped the pill 10 days ago after finding this site and knowing i am like all of you but i was wondering if any of you still had the black spotsin front of the eyes and how long i could expect for this to continue, its on and off.

I too was having many of the same things other women listed here. I thought I was losing my mind and had physical sympotms as well (night swaets, hot flashes and migrains). Just the other day I searched and what a relief to find this site. Now I know I am not alone in this and that it was the pill. I had wondered if it was but my doctor also said it was unlikely to be the cause. Yuck. I was 3 days into a new pack whan I found this site. I stopped them that day. I have been on Yasmin for a year. I hope it does not take too long to leave my system, but I feel better just knowing that this was the cause of all these things. I am so grateful for finding this site.

Abby

I have been on Yasim for about 1 month. I started it and began gaining weight and quit taking it. After I went back to the OB/GYN she told me that Yasim was one of the best pills on the market so I went back on it not knowing any better. I have been back on it for 1 month and have been experiencing Leg cramping, severe headaches, dizziness, weight gain. I am getting ready to transfer providers I feel that I am not being listened to regarding my systoms being on the pill. Please would someone respond to me?

Thanks

to the last poster:

<< lately i have had dizzy spells, this morning i thought i was going to pass out so i had to lay on the floor for ages, >>

OMG, this sounds so much like me on january, 1st this year!! I just got up from bed and went into the dining room for breakfast as the same thing happened to me!!! I got a heavy dizzy spell and therefor laid down on the floor and wasn't able even to lift my head up just a little bit without thinking I was going to pass out!! My husband called a doctor which immediately took me to hospital...

Not to mention, that all of the tests they had made there came out negative... Only my blood pressure was very high (always had a blood pressure around 110/70 or 120/80) with 170/100 which I never had before!!

Please get off this horrible stuff immediately before everything gets worse and worse!! I know what I'm saying (had been on Yasmin for 5 years and was nearly about to die because of 100s of horrible symptoms since december 2004 without knowing why!!!) I got off Yasmin in february this year and never had such a heavy dizzy spell or those feelings of passing out or high blood pressure ever since then!!

All the best to everybody out there!!

Greetings
Silke

Hi worried!!

Yes, you're right, it's another chemical you're about to put into your body without knowing what this stuff might do again to you!! Well, it's everybody's own decision and I just can give you some advise which is only my personal opinion and experience:

I didn't go on anti-anxiety medicine although some doctor's had tried to put me on it in the emergency room on January, 1st, this year, when I was brought there because of a dizzy spell, that didn't want stop at all... I took their medicine for about 3 days and felt like I was no longer alive!! Well, everybody reacts different on such stuff and I just can tell you my experience and it wasn't good and made things just worse!!

The only thing that helped, when I had such really really bad days was some baldrian (don't know how you say in english, might it be "valerian"??) or St. John's worth. But all just natural and nothing chemical because of my experience with Yasmin and the anti anxiety medicine I had only been taking for about 3 days...

And one more thing you should know: I KNOW SO MUCH WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH!!! And I'm feeling so much with you that I'm nearly about to cry!! These are very hard times for each woman who has to go through the same as us but please believe me: Better times are ahead!!! It's a very very slow process (I've been off Yasmin for 8 months now and am still not back to completely normal feelings but SO MUCH better that a few months ago; I wasn't able to work since december 2004 and two weeks ago I started working again!!! Never believed that I could do this ever again and now I do!!), it's just every month a very little step. But it WILL GET BETTER!! Please hold on!!!

My family doctor always said (against the opinion of the ER doctors!!) that he doesn't think that I need some anti-anxiety medicine because he always believed, that there was something else causing my anxiety and that it wasn't all just me!! And he was so right!!! These chemical medicines are just another thing that you have to get off of some day and it will be again a very hard time, just similar as now!!

One thing you could do for yourself: Search the internet for people who are taking or have been taking such medicine and read about their experiences with it. That might help to find the right decision for you!!

Please, don't give up and stay strong (you're stronger than you might believe at the moment; I know what I'm saying!!)!!

Big hugs and god's bless to everyone out there still suffering from this wonder medicine "from hell"!!

PS: Oh there is one thing, that in my case helped me so much through very hard days: MUSIC!! Don't know if it could help you too, but music was always very important in my life and is able to heal your soul at least a little bit!! Perhaps you should just try it. Take a headphone and a walkman and put in some music you're really keen on, close your eyes and just feel it. Well, it's worth a try!!

Hi to everyone especially Connie and Silke...

its chris again!! thank u guys so much for replying to my posting... i feel a bit better knowing that im not the only one with the heart pulps... its just so scary cos ive never had them b4... i swear on my life i will never take yasmin again and will not recommend it to anyone!!!
i just want it to be over with ... ive noticed its worse during the week leading up to my period...
if either of you know anything i can do to help them lessen then please let me know... i try to keep busy which usually helps but my chest just feels so heavy!!! i guess only time can make it better...

thanks so much again you girls are the best!!
i wish you both all the best!! xoxoxoxo
ill keep checking the postings too to see how ur both going... good luck xoxoxoox

Hi Voicesi!

Thank you so much for responding. I really appreciate it. I feel a lot better hearing from you and knowing that I am not crazy. I was on the pill for 2 1/2 years so I am sure it will take a while to get it out of my system. It is just awful that this pill can have so many terrible side affects on us. Thanks again for taking your time out and responding.

THANKYOU

Just wanted to let you all know how much better I feel from reading your posts, I feel better knowing that I am not alone and not going mad, the anxiety is driving me up the wall but I now know that I will get better.
To the lady who said how anxiety makes her feel about her little girl, I understand I am the same and it is a shame because I cant even let the kids play normally I keep thinking they will have an accident, I have a little pool out and watch them like a hawk incase they drown bear in mind it is not even up to my sons knees and he has been going swimming for over two years now, well hopefully we will all get better soon.

Thankyou
Joanne.

I began taking Yasmin 4 months ago and it has been hell!!! It took me a couple months to realize the connection (my roomate went on Yasmin at the same time and I thought SHE was nuts saying it made her sick!). When I first start taking a pack each month I'm extremely nauseated and it lasts for about a week. Then, I feel good for about a week. However, the third week is when I turn into a raging b*@ch! I have uncontrollable mood swings, cry over nothing, and snap at people for no reason. The worst thing about that is I know I'm flipping out over nothing! I've lost a bit of weight since going on Yasmin but I attribute that to the fact that I'm also eating healthier. I used to be on ortho tricyclen and I loved it except for the weight gain (130-165 in about 2 months) but I'm thinking of going back to it anyways (i'd rather be fat and happy)!!! I thought I was crazy thinking Yasmin was the reason I was moody and felt like throwing up but after reading all of your posts I feel better knowing I'm not alone! Good luck to all of you!

I was doing a search on the net for symptoms relating to menstrual like pains (no where near my period), headaches, and frequent urination. I was begining to think I was crazy or that I was pregnant again (had 1st baby in April '03). I just had my period last week and started my new pack of Yasmin on Sunday. After reading this I feel so much better knowing that I'm probably not pregnant again and that I'm not imagining the symptoms. I go to my Ob-Gyn on Monday so I think I will discuss some of the things I'm going thru with her. Thanks to all who have posted positive and negative symptoms!

ps Forgot to mention the yeast infection! along w/ the psycho,depression,cystic facial breakout, no sex drive, severe naseau,burping,gas, acidic stomach,tiredness,wanting to sleep,feeling pregnant(knowing I 'm not),nort feeling up to exercise, not wanting to see people,thinking I was dying...I also got a yeast infection.