Yasmin and leg cramps

I was on Yasmin for 1.5 years. Ended up with chest pains, severe Vitamin D deficiency, B12/Folic Acid deficiency, elevated potassium and unbelievable fatigue/exhaustion along with muscle loss. I have now been off for almost 3 years and do not feel completely recovered. I'd encourage folks to google Yasmin/Yaz lawsuits as they are just beginning and I expect will eventually come off of the market due to finally, recognized increased risk of these pills with pulmonary embolisms, stroke, heart attack and blood clots. Also, if you google Yasmin Survivors, there is an international forum of women who have been sharing and contributing now for last 3 years as well.

I was put on Yasmin in 2006 due to irregular periods. I thought during the time I was on it I felt fine, I thought. I am the type of person who doesn't like going to the doctor bc all they want is my money. At first everything was fine. Then one day I started getting really hot and was so weak I could barely hold my head up. My vision was blacked out but I could still hear everything. I figured I was just dehydrated so I drank a few glasses of water and everything returned to normal within 15 minutes. I went on with life as normal and just swept the episode under the rug. The same thing happened a few more times in the near future but I didn't have loss of vision again. Still went on with life. I used to be a server, therefore I was on my feet all the time and I was a workaholic. I started getting severe cramps on my lower left calf but again ignored the symptom bc I just thought it was a bad muscle cramp from always being my feet. Then one day at work a girl ran into me just right and knocked my hip out of place. I walked around like that for about 5 days or so but I was taking TONS of Ibuprofen to ease the severe pain which helped me forget the leg cramps.. Eventually I went to the chiropractor to get an adjustment and everything was great again. No pain. As the next month passes the cramp in my leg started gradually moving up the back of my calf, around to just above my knee and then up to my groin. Again I just ignored this mystery "cramp." I ignored it until September 19th when I was working and my episodes stared again while I was working. I started feeling weak again and just really dehydrated. I went to get a drink and passed out in the kitchen during lunch rush. I got some water and then went back to work. I made one last round at my tables and then collapsed in the back bc I had one of the worst pains in my groin I had ever experienced. This time I couldn't ignore it and had my bf take me to an immediate care hospital. The doctor took my blood and ran tests and everything came back normal. Then they asked if I could give a urine sample and I did. They said it would take about 45 minutes for the results to come back. So I took a walk outside and felt like I was waddling. My left leg started getting really tight and swollen. I walked back in and went to the bathroom again. My left leg was purple!!!! I told the dr about it and she looked at my leg for a second, and ordered me to lay down and not move an inch and walked out the door. She immediately ordered a CT scan. We got the results back and we discovered I have blood clots from my ankle up to the top of my knee. That's the only part of my leg that was scanned. I was transferred to intensive care and was there for 4 days. I was immediately taken off Yasmin and put on extremely high doses of coumadin and other blood thinners to absorb the clots back into my bloodstream. Other CT scans were performed and the clots actually go from ankle up to my lower abdomen. After I was released from the hospital, I was on bed rest for 3 months. Bc I cannot be on my feet I had to quit my job. Keep in mind I was only 19 years old, now only 22. I now have to be on coumadin for the rest of my life, I have to get my blood levels tested monthly, and I also had to have a filter put in my inferior vena cava (the main vessel in your body that goes to your heart.) To prevent clots from moving to my heart, lungs, and or brain. Since then I have to have a job that I Cannot sit down for too long but can't have a job that I am on my feet either, pretty limited, huh? And of course I must have insurance to pay for the nonstop medical bills. I have been pretty depressed about the whole thing so make sure if you take Yasmin you get off immediately!!! Now instead of birth control pills I have a 10 year IUD. Now after reading some of the other posts I am wondering if my depression, anxiety, anger and mood swings have something to do with the IUD....

I'm 43 and have been on Yasmin for the past 5 years. A month ago my arm swelled up like a balloon and I have a blood clot in my subclavian vein just under my colar bone. All my doctors have pointed the cause to Yasmin. I've had no major trama or central line. I was immediately taken off Yasmin and started on blood thinners that I had to inject into myself. Since being off the Yasmin I feel much different. I'm loosing weight and am happier and I got my libido back! My nightly leg cramps have also stopped.

yaz sucks i gained 25 pounds because of it, made my acne worse, and i had severe leg cramps while i was on it. I haven't been able to lose the weight i wish i never took that pill

Ladies, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your posts! I'm so glad I found this site as it confirms some things for me....several years ago I was on Yasmin. For years I had taken other BC's until my dr switched me to Yasmin. I gradually started having anxiety issues, skin issues, & leg cramps (mainly left calf) so severe & violent that at one point they even sprained my ankle. After about 3 months into the medication, my anxiety became more severe, I would cry for hours about absolutely nothing, & I began noticing my thoughts racing about 2 - 3 hours after taking Yasmin. I had been taking BC since my early 20's and had never noticed this before, so I didn't think it was the Yasmin until I forgot to take my pills several days in a row--& I realized I was no longer anxious. I also realized then that for once being on my period was a RELIEF from my symptoms--not the typical hell as before Yasmin. When I started them again I kept a symptom log until I could no longer take it. This really helped my doctor in determining (& proving) that the pills had an adverse effect on my body. The point here is not to trash Yasmin as some people greatly benefit from it, but there are others who can't take it because the hormones clash with their systems. LADIES, LISTEN TO YOUR BODIES & TALK TO YOUR DOCTORS if you're experiencing negative symptoms after changing to this (or any) birth control! My doctor was about to put me on anti-depressants until we discovered that the cause was Yasmin. Once we switched, the symptoms went away. The best thing I did was to keep a daily log--it's not terribly time consuming, you just have to remember to keep up with it, but your health is worth it!!!!!

First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry for all of you having physical discomfort in your lives right now. I feel for anyone who is experiencing such problems.
With that said, I have been on YASMIN (not YAZ - those are two different things people!!!!) for 8 years and have NEVER experienced any problems despite experiencing problems on other pills. Pardon me being frank... If you are one of the women who BARELY started this pill in the last 3-6 months, you may have not given it enough time. You must remember that by taking any medication you are changing the chemical balance of your body and it will take time and adjustments. Bottom line, you need to carefully monitor your problems and discuss them with your ob/gyn and possibly general physician. You may just need to try other pills. This is TRIAL and ERROR, there is NO way for a doctor to be able to know how each person's body will react to any particular drug. Be open and pay attention. If you search about any birth control pills, you can find there are side effects for all of them. Second of all, some of you may have these existing problems, but never noted them until you started taking the pill, or as I said before, you have not allowed time for your body to adjust. For example, when you have a headache or indigestion, you take medication and it takes time for your body to adjust to the meds. Please ladies - don't bad mouth or assume, without first allowing for the already published side effects to come - and most likely, pass. And if they don't - talk to your doctor!!! Seriously!!! The makers even say to talk to you doctors if any of the published side effects happen. I do apologize for being harsh, but I must insist on being practical and reading the material provided. I do hope that each of you stay in good health and have no lasting problems.

I took Yaz for a couple months and was fine during that; however, about a month ago my doctor switched me to Yasmin(I have been on BC for years however, the ortho brand). I've been in the most pain in the past month than I ever have and I'm usually pretty good with pain and just try to take advil or something... but the symptoms have only gotten worse. I finally decided to google my symptoms and I found a lot of people on Yasmin had very similar symptoms. I have the worst anxiety like there's a lump in my throat and sometimes I'm literally grasping for air and I always try to drink a lot of water or cough or eat or burp to make it go away but it doesn't until I wake up the next day (sometimes). Also, I have never ever experience migraines in my life, but the past month I have the worst headaches imaginable. It happens at least 4 times a week; at first I thought they were caffeine headaches because it would sometimes help, but the past 3 days my headache has pretty much been constant (usually located near my temples/eyes). I take probably 8 Ibuprofin a day and drink an excessive amount of caffeine hoping it will make it go away, but it doesn't. Along with these problems I've been feeling lightheaded more often and usually have to sit down immediately or else I feel like I'm going to faint. The biggest/scariest symptom is my heartbeat and chest pain. Heart disease is extremely dominant on my moms side and almost all of her siblings have already had at least one heart attack. Lately my chest will hurt extremely bad, then I feel like my heart rate is just freaking out; I can feel my heartbeat from anywhere on my body and it's very intense. And then because of all of this going on, I always start to freak out and realize i'm getting extremely anxious so I try to make myself take deep breaths but nothings works. The past 4 nights I've been up til like 4 a.m. because my heart rate is so high and my chest hurts so bad in every position I try to lay in that I'm constantly moving. I never thought about going to the doctor because I thought it would get better but now I'm starting to think I should... I'm just wondering if anyone else has/had any of these problems from this medicine and if you've done anything to get rid of them.

(a couple other minor symptoms I've noticed recently are: joint pain and rapid memory loss (I'll be in the middle of a sentence and completely forget what I was talking about and blank out))

Yasmin has been great in fixing up my acne problems. I have not gained any weight but my mood swings are atrocious! I feel like I am in a dark tunnel at least once a month (around the sugar pill time), I keep spotting brown mucus. This just started in the last fortnight. I will go a day or so with no problems then it starts again. I am going to the doctor on Monday to find out what is going on. I am getting married in one month's time and I dread to think of my honeymoon night! Spotting brown goo! But I don't want my skin to break out. I went on the Yasmin because of the fact it has a mild diuretic in it which helps me because I have fluid retention issues at times. Has anyone else experienced spotting on and off?? I also have a lot of leg cramps and back ache on a regular basis!! Thank you!

hey. its great to see that i am not the only person going mad with the side effects of the pill!

I started taking Yasmin in august 2008 and stopped in January 2009. after 2 months i found i had slight leg cramps and very itchy calfs and underarms that turned my skin into tiny red dots after i scratched them. i also got extremely red and blotchy inner thighs. the constant itchiness and the fact that i felt disgusting, made me go see my doctor who put me on yasminelle. ive been on yasminelle for about 2 weeks now. the itchiness has gone but i have major leg, foot and arm cramps. its hard to point my toes and sometimes difficult to stand or walk. extreme sore pins and needles in my hands and feet are also an issue.

i know side effects are different for everyone, but why are doctors still prescribing something that will give so much pain to people.

im finishing this pack of yasminelle and then stopping for good. i'm only 18 and my life's just beginning. im way too scared to take the risk of staying on the pill! if this is what its like after half a year, what is it going to be like after one year. or even more.

headache,nauseous,leg cramps, pain in my left breast, around heart...now, around each period my breasts hurt, and i have terrible stomach ache, like cramps, which i never had before..i also started having acne on my back and shoulders...but the worst thing is, my room-mate, she was using Yasmin for 9months, died a week ago. she wasn't sick at all.she actually did have a few headaches, and weird stomach ache, but we didn't seem to connect the two...

I am so glad that I found this site. I was beginning to feel like I was losing my mind. I have been on Yasmin for only 2 months but have been experiencing many of the side effects mentioned- fatigue, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, anxiety, dizziness, and flu-like symptoms. I had these same symptoms when I was on Yaz last year. I wound up going to the hospital for shortness of breath and chest pain. The doctor thought it may be blood clots, but after testing he diagnosed me with bronchitis and asthma (I am 26- never had either in my life). There is definitely something wrong with these pills. I do have anxiety and currently take Xanax. But I have not had panic attacks like this since I was on the pill last year. Sometimes I need to think about breathing to catch my breath and lately it had been hard for me to sleep because my heart is racing. My periods have been lighter and my migraines less severe, but it is not worth it to continue on Yasmin.

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

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

My symptoms are

Massive hair loss by the roots, which started about 2 years after going OFF the pill and hasn't stopped. Some hair still hasn't grown back yet.
Bloating with water retention (this is where the bigger boobs come into it).
Leg Cramps
Pins & Needles in legs and toes
Cold/numb spots on one leg
Can go without sex for long periods

However, the benefits are:
clear skin, no mood swings. No depression.

I was put on Yasmin as a healthy 31 year old. I noticed severe foot and leg cramps shortly after taking Yasmin but didn't connect the two. At one point, after a severe leg cramp that left me with a sore leg that lasted more than a couple of days, I contacted my OBGYN to inquire about blood clots. The nurse asked me if I noticed any discoloration, swelling or 'hot spots'. When I told her no she said that I would know if I had a blood clot and there was nothing to worry about. The pain subsided after a couple of days and I attributed it to a pulled muscle. Almost a year later I developed severe chest pains and shortness of breath. A trip to the emergency room uncovered a massive pulmonary embolism. I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days and endured months of recovery to get back to good health. I was on a blood thinner for almost 9 months and still take a daily aspirin in combination with fish oil as a precaution. I can't tell you how I wish I had know just how serious the side effects might really be. I would urge all women to seriously consider all options before committing to a daily medication with these possible side effects. Best of luck to you all.

Wow! I can't believe how many of us suffers from the pill from hell, Yasmin. I stopped taking it September 17 after 5 years and I'm worried as hell as to what's going to happen to my body now. But first things first. I seem to have gotten pretty much every side effect in the book.

About a month after starting it I got gastroparesis- paralyzed stomach- and I also became lactose-intolerant after 30 years of drinking a lot of milk. Go figure! I get a huge bloated belly as soon as I drink a little water even now. I have gained about 6 lbs that I can't shake no matter how much I work out and that has never been a problem before.

I had migraines from hell and headaches nearly every day the last few years.

I got panic attacks and was very nervous, had anxiety and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. And that is SO NOT me or anybody in my family. And I know it was the pill cuz I had no reason to feel that way.

I had blurry vision at times. Fainted once in the mall for no apparent reason, I had never fainted before in my life.

I had no interest in my own life or in doing anything whether that was working, going to school, exercising, going out with friends, traveling, whatever it was I was not interested. Again, so not me. I could have died and I wouldn't have cared. I could have gotten a Ferrari and I wouldn't have cared.

I could sleep 10 hours a night, take 1-2 hour naps in the afternoon and go to sleep again at 10 pm, no problem. And the nightmares! Holy crap. Awful dreams about plane crashes, robberies and murderers EVERY night. Thankfully they seem to have disappeared now.

I have high cholesterol, through the roof actually! -no family history there either- and blood pressure is a little high but not too bad. My thyroid was a little elevated last time and the doctor thought it was due to Yasmin.

I snap at everybody and think that I don't love my husband when I actually do love him a lot. He has put up with me being so unbelievably bitchy for 5 year. Bless his soul!

Since I started Yasmin we have had sex about 1-3 times a year. I'm NOT kidding. I haven't wanted anything to do with sex.

I have heart palpitations at times. Shortness of breath just walking up the stairs in my house.

Dry skin no matter what cream I use. Major hair loss.

I went off Yasmin once before and didn't get my period back for over 6 months so I just started taking it again like an idiot cuz I wasn't planning to have kids then anyway.

I was never happy, never sad. Mostly mad or irritated, no problems there.

What else? How many hours do you girls have to read my post? ;-)

To sum it up. Yasmin has destroyed my life for the past 5 years but I was to blind and scared to get pregnant before that I just didn't care. And not caring about my own health was surely caused by that rotten pill too.

What can I expect now that I'm off the pill since 2 weeks? How long before the hormones are gone from my body? What can I expect and when does it get better? Can I go to the ob/gyn after 2-3 months if I don't get my period and have them give me something to start it? Or would that be bad? What about the weight, should it go up or down? Acne? Hair loss? What else? Have you had any medical problems that you needed medicines for due to Yasmin? How long has it taken you to get your period back? And most importantly; can this pill make me infertile???

If there is a class action lawsuit I want to be in it!

I am so relieved to read all of this.
I have been on Yasmin for about 2 months, and it has been a nightmare.
I have suffered from heart palpitation, leg cramps, nausea, & severe depression.
I'm only 16, and I don't want this medication to ruin my life.
I was told that this will give me shorter and lighter periods.
I am currently on my 8th day of my cycle.
So much for "shorter."
I will never take this horrible pill again.
Thank you all for opening my eyes.
I thought I was going crazy.

I was put on Yasmin not for birth control but for the beginning of fertility treatments. I was on Yasmin only 1 months. After about 2 days I started getting symptoms. I called the Pharmacist and my fertility doctor and they both told me the pill wasn't the culprit. But after the 20th day I just couldn't take it anymore I went off of it. After starting Yasmin I had TERRIBLE Panic attacks, Anxiety ( still have to this day two months later), Heart Palpitations, leg cramps, boobs hurt, breathing trouble ( still to this day), HORRIBLE thoughts, adrenaline rushes all hours of the day, tingling in my hands and feet, my mind feels fuzzy, no appetite, no sex drive, depression, crying fits for hours, I felt like i was going insane.... You name it I had it. I stopped the pill two months ago and I still have the horrible anxiety/attacks, feel like i cant breath properly, OCD about my breathing.

I went to the hospital and got checked for blood clots in my lungs, legs, Asthma test, EKG, blood tested, was put on heart monitor all came back normal. I have started seeing a therapist, on depression meds and none of it is working. I feel like this pill has ruined my life and i wasn't even trying to stop life i was trying to help create it.

Here i am two months after stopping the pill and yes some of the stuff has went away but i still suffer with Anxiety from the time i wake up in the morning till the time I go to bed at night. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. My head is getting a little clearer and I am not as depressed as before. But I am just praying that this anxiety goes away. I have NEVER been a person who can't handle stress or gets anxiety/panic attacks and since it started it hasn't stopped. I am so very weak, muscles ache so much which i think is from the anxiety attacks and the muscles tightening.

So if you have this... you are not alone! I am suffering with it everyday. It is so debilitating I cant do much. Has anyone else had this months after stopping Yasmin?

Hi ladies,

I just finished my last pack of Yasmin on Thursday because I felt I was pumped with hormones. I googled "coming off the pill Yasmin" and came across your comments.
I was originally put on Yasmin by my Doctor as I had put on a few pounds. I lost that weight with exercise (can't diet) but I have never lost my DD breasts (I was a C cup before Yasmin) and I've a tummy which when I bloat the week before my period, I look pregnant!
I've been experiencing a lot of the negative side effects of Yasmin over the last year and I was beginning to think I was going mad.
I suffer from very bad headaches, water retention, bloating and loss of sex drive.
In the last 2 or 3 months I'm now suffering with nausea, leg cramps, sore breasts, anxiety and feeling down.
As most of these symptoms have occurred in the last year, I just got fed up. I've been on the pill for 14 years (on and off), and on Yasmin for at least 6 years. I'm now 32, I'm married and would love a child.
I feel by coming off this pill, my body will settling into a routine before I hopefully conceive.
So glad I found your comments and I'm not alone in how my body feels.
Thank You.

I starting Yasmin when my daughter was a few months old, my doctor told me it would be good for me to take since I have PCOS. I started having anxiety, leg cramps, and shortness of breath to a point that I wound up at the doctor and ER a lot, not knowing what was wrong with me. However I did lose like 100lbs on it getting down to 130lbs. Since I quit I have gained 25lbs back, however I don't feel like I'm gonna DIE! This pill is the wonder pill!!!!
Tara - FL

I just started using Yasmin 15 days ago and in the second week of taking it, I started experiencing leg cramps. I was just laying in bed and my leg started feeling really weird... I just thought it was because I hadn't done any yoga for a few days. So I did yoga and walked for a while to see if I could loosen it up and nothing. It continued for the whole week so I started taking baths to soften the muscle, thinking that it had to do with lack of exercise, still nothing. I even had my massage therapist husband try and massage it out and still nothing. So I thought it may be early pregnancy symptoms, but the test was neg. I've been researching my symptoms for a week now, and I stumble across this sight. Thank you I will stop taking it NOW so that I don't become as ill as most of you, though I will still have the leg cramps checked out asap. Again thank you.

My daughter has been on Yasmin for a year and a half - it was prescribed for irregular periods and spotty skin. She is 15 and has had a year of nausea, leg cramps, hair loss, headaches, elevated heart rate,fatigue , irritation,angry outbursts ,dehydration severe moodiness and depression and lately- uncontrolled crying for no reason. She also sees black dots after exercising. She has gone from a happy girl who loved exercise to a grumpy couch potato! The doctor diagnosed it as a viral infection and suspected glandular fever - she missed a lot of school!
Today she had a day from hell - fought with a teacher and cried for hours. She also takes Ritalin as she is ADD- so I thought it was that - I decided to look up Yasmin and am so glad I did! What a great website! She has just taken a multivitamin and mag.phos - NO MORE YASMIN!!! Any advice on what she can use for her skin? and irregular periods?
A million thanks
Caron

I am 21 years old and I was on Yasmin for three in a half months (i stopped the last pack half way through). The first month i was on it, i had a lot of leg pains especially at night and sometimes to the point where i couldn't sleep. I went to the doctors and told her about this and she said it had nothing to do with the pill. My leg pain stopped after the first month i was on it and for two months i was fine. At the end of the third pack i began to get leg cramps again, but this time it was different i had little sharp pains here and there and tingling and my legs became extremely itchy. In the matter of two months i got spider veins and cellulite on my upper legs. Before the pill i had NOTHING on my legs. I searched the internet and found that birth control can cause spider veins because of the hormonal change so I thought my legs were itchy because of the spider veins so i stopped using the pill and made a doctors appointment. Three days after stopping i got my period for the second time that month. I also broke out with lumps that are red and extremely itchy. The doctor told me that the bumps are eczema and i also have a lymph node, which she said is from the eczema (which i find very strange). Two days after i broke out and got a lymph node, i got sick with a fever, extremely soar throat and a swollen neck. Today is my 7th day off the pill and im still sick. Hopefully i get better. But from being a 21 year old whos 95 pounds and having nothing wrong and starting this pill and getting spider veins, cellulite and then eczema all around the same time, i feel like im aging before my time. If anyone else has had any similar effects please let me know. Thank you.

that is cramping in leg(calf)?

Has anyone been getting leg cramping in middle of night while sleeping, been missing periods every 2 1/2 months, and full of anxiety after stopping Yasmin? i've been experiencing these effects.

I'm 22 years old and I have been on Yasmin for 3 years. The first year it was fine, but the next year I began getting panic attacks which I never even believed in until I had one myself. I've had severe anxiety that is uncontrollable and doesn't allow me to sleep at night. Let's not even talk about the emotional mood swings during my period. My boyfriend knows when it's that time of the month because I'm not myself. I will cry over things that would never make me cry in a million years. I'm mean and moody and then 20 minutes later I feel bad, but then I'm crabby again. Weight gain has not been a problem for me only about 3-5 pounds, but my breasts did go from a large B to a D. My boobs definitely do not fit my body. I have noticed a lot of hair fall but I just thought it was normal. I too have had problems with my potassium levels as I would get leg cramps in the middle of the night so I began drinking Gatorade and eating bananas every morning which has helped. I love being on birth control because it helps me plan accordingly, but I just don't feel like myself anymore. I am always hungry and am never full. I literally have to tell myself out loud that I'm done eating because it doesn't trigger for me. I have had a stomach ache nearly everyday of being on the pill. I became addicted to TUMS which only made it worse. I thought it was stress related which it might be, but I literally do not go to the bathroom for 4 or 5 days and it is soooo painful. Another thing is that I have no sex drive. I really have to prepare myself for it otherwise sex does not even occur to me. My boyfriend thinks I'm not attracted to him, but I AM! We just moved in together and you would think it was "freedom" but I'm just motivated to have sex. This is not normal for a 22 year old healthy female with an extremely hot man.

Anyway, I just went to the doctor and told her I was interested in Yaz. She gave me a few sample packs which I will begin next week. I'm hoping for the best and I truly do believe that birth control is a trial and error process. Everyone's bodies are different and you need to find the one that works best for you! I will write again once I know how Yaz works out.

-MCL

Hello all Yasmin Survivors.
I stopped taking Yasmin in July 2005 and three years on I am still re-building my life! I feel this pill and its side-effect stole some of my best years, I am 33.
My main side effects were extreme anxiety, agoraphobia, pounding heart, panic attacks, fear of doing anything (even going 10 minutes away from my own home). I was on it for 12 months and the side-effects started very gradually at about 5-6 months, I barely noticed them creeping up on me. It took me another 6 months of taking it to start to question whether Yasmin could be causing the extreme change in my personality. I think if I hadn't stopped I'd have had a major breakdown. I had lots of weird physical symptoms too including, bloating, passing urine all the time, leg cramps, dizziness, hair loss.
Anyway, all the extreme anxiety and stress caused by Yasmin left me with exhausted adrenal glands - which I'm now trying to re-build. Anyone feeling fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, inability to handle stress in the same way as you used to, PMS several months after stopping Yasmin should look into Adrenal Fatigue as a possible cause of their symptoms. It's hard to treat and can take a long time to recover - but there are lots of things you can do to help your body re-build. Visit ******(doctor Andrew W. website on Adrenal Fatigue) as a start to find out more about the condition and how to find out whether you are suffering from it.
It would be good to hear from more people re-building their lives after the impact of taking Yasmin on this site. Also, is anyone out there trying to put together a class action?
Sarah

This site has put so much worry on my mind about Yasmin. I started researching Yasmin because I had my first spotting this weekend. It started on Saturday and now it's Wednesday night and it has not stopped. Why do I want to be on something that makes me spot..I use to be on Portia which I really liked. I never spotted....I got on Yasmin because my mom and sister think I am moody (which, three woman in one house...do the math?) I have been feeling so tired lately. I go to bed about 8:00 or 8:30 and get up around 5:30, but I am still tired. On the weekends I can sleep anywhere from 12 hours on. I come home from work and nap and then go right back to bed. I have started to get leg cramps, which I haven't had since I was a sophomore in high school (junior in college now.) I've had a few more head aches than normal. I've put on weight....nothing feels good on me, I feel like a balloon. I have been more "depressed"...it's something that runs in my family but when I was on portia I was really happy...now I feel like I just want to say something or bring people down to my level. I am seeing this guy who works out of town and it never bothered me that he did until I started on Yasmin. I have stomach pains sometimes. What really upsets me is I told my sister about this site and she doesn't believe me. She thinks ALL birth control will give you these side affects and she says that they are not suppose to happen, which in theory she is right...but she doesn't leave any room for anything like this. She thinks I am feeling this way because of something else....well before the pill I was different. I like my face being clear but I don't like everything else but yet she can make the decision about her meds. I'm blaming Yasmin because it's the only thing I am on! I am going to use my last three months but I am not taking it anymore....I cant be a full time college student and hold a job while taking something that could potentially ruin my life before I even start it.

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

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

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

I started taking Yasmin on Monday April 21st, and by Wednesday morning I wanted off of it. I started getting really bad leg cramps all the time, I feel dizzy all the time, I have trouble concentrating, and I have trouble breathing. The worst part is that I have heart palpitations now. My heart feels all butterfly-like or it feels like it's beating really slowly really hard. I just spoke with my doctor, and she says to stop taking it immediately.

After reading this website I see I'm not the only one affected by horrible side-effects from Yasmin.

I was put on Yaz (same as Yasmin but with a smaller estrogen dose) due to irregular periods and a presumed hormonal imbalance. That was in September '07. Four month later, on Jan 1, '08, I went to the ER with breathing difficulties, and weakness in my arms and legs. I had been having muscle cramps/ charley horses in my right calf, but that was the only other health problem I had experienced. I thought I was having an asthma attack. So did the ER - at first. After I did not respond to the breathing treatments, and I became completely out of breath and exhausted after walking across the hall to the restroom, the ER doc checked my D-Dimer level to see if I was at risk for blood clots. He said if it came back over 500, he would have to do further testing for clots. It came back 4500!! I was sent immediately down for a CT Scan which showed mulitple clots in both lungs, mostly small, but several of significant size. I was immediately put on oxygen and a heart monitor, and an IV drip of heparin was started. I was in the hospital for 4 days, had to learn to give myself shots of Lovenol in my stomach until my pill form of blood thinner had time to kick in. I am now taking Coumadin blood thinner every day until July, when my D-Dimer will be checked again. Depending on the results, I may come off the Coumadin, or I may have to commit to it for 3 years. However, I was tested for all the hereditary blood clotting disorders and all came back negative, so my doctor feels as though the cause has to be the YAZ! Everyone tells me I was very lucky and that I could have easily died, especially when I was just thinking I was having an asthma attack and put off going to the ER for a few days. If you are taking Yaz or Yasmin, and you begin to have difficulty breathing, any kind of leg cramps, weakness, or tightness in your chest (I had also been having severe heart burn) - go have yourself checked out!!!!!

Yasmin - Sudden Panic/Anxiety-

I have been on Yasmin for 7 years. I started a new box and pack 3 weeks ago and 72 hours later had what I thought was a "panic attack". I had never suffered panic or anxiety before and I am 32. Then, the chest pain and anxious feeling wouldn't go away (not normal with panic I hear). I went to the Dr and my bloodwork was all "great". I went to a cardiologist and they tested my heart. It was indeed beating "extra" so I had to be one a monitor. Still, the entire time I was miserable and wondering what the heck had happened to me. How could I go from being a normal, well adjusted women to a crazy lady in one day. I was crying and couldn't function, concentrate or eat. I felt like an "out of body" type of experience almost, like it wasn't really me who was feeling all this. Very disoriented feeling. Well, the Dr gave me anxiety pills and I was going to take them. But, in the meantime I went on the "sugar pills" of my Yasmin and guess what? 72 hours after I stopped the pills I felt normal again!!! I'm still not 100%, I'm 90%. Now I have no hard evidence that Yasmin caused this, particularly since I've been on it so long but I can't help wondering if they changed the dosages or something. I have NEVER experienced any level of anxiety or panic before this and going off the pills was the only thing I changed when I started feeling better. Sounds like more than a coincidence to me.

Has this happened to anyone else recently???

After 5 years of a totally sporadic period, I decided to go back on the pill. My OBGYN prescribed Yasmin. I started taking it in March of 06 and stopped taking it October of 06. In that time, I was miserable. I started having migraines on a weekly basis, my joints hurt, but worst of all was the leg cramps. I had such bad Charlie horses, I was ready to cry pretty much all the time. I would wake up numerous times a night with them. My muscles were so sore that some days I could barely walk. I was constantly limping. One night I discovered a large lump on the inside of my calf by my knee. I thought it was a blood clot and had to go for an MRI. The doctors couldn't tell me what the lump was. As soon as I found the lump I stopped taking Yasmin and within a week my headaches and the Charlie horses went away. I still have the lump, but it is slowly going away.

I started taking Yasminelle (its dosage is much lower than Yasmin's) about 5-6 months ago; the side-effects I endured during the first two months keep coming back as soon as I start a new packet. Side effects such as nausea during the first week of taking the pills, continuous breast pain. These side effects are completely making me seem like a total freak when I am out- I am always complaining about how sick I feel and I also can't drink because as a result i feel queasy and I'd have to stop. Does any one else feel the same way on Yasminelle particularly? i have been searching online for discussions regarding Yasminelle but I have found none at all...anyone else on Yasminelle and do you consider it a good form of birth control?

I noticed I didn't put my side effects. They are "Charlie horses" or leg cramps, I don't eat like I use to, back pain, tingling shoulders, neck pain, bloating out of this world, chest pains, and heart palpations. The bad thing is I called my local health unit and they told me to continue taking the pill. What should I do?

I have been taking this for 3 days and I am a little worried. My legs feel kind of tingly and sore (started about an hour after i took the 1st pill). I am not swollen or anything...this is pretty much my only side effect, but I can't get a hold of my obgyn to ask her about it, since I have to wait 2 months to get an appointment with her...I dunno. The leg cramps can't be a blood clot this soon? This site is really worrying me now.

It is not a shooting pain like they say in the pamphlet Warning Signs, just kind of a dull pain. I had a lot of leg cramps as a child and this feels just like it, but more mild.

I have been on Yasmin almost 2 years. I finished a pack last week and do not plan on starting a new one. I googled "side effects of Yasmin" in a hope to see if there was a chance someone out there had noticed any facial hair growth since taking it. What I found was this sight that has given me a ray of hope. I left my husband 2-3 months after starting the Yasmin. As I assumed was normal, I experienced depression, mood swings, everything you might expect after ending a relationship you expected to last forever. I have been seeing a counselor for the past 8 months, because my mental state was not improving. Since then, I have had improvement, but the insane mood swings haven't stopped, especially the week before my period. I had attributed this to getting older (I'm 32) and was just pushing through, knowing I'd swing back to "normal" eventually. I am hoping so much that they will stop and I will get totally back to my normal self. Before starting Yasmin the emotional end of my PMS consisted of one day, right before my period started, of bitchiness. Since I started my period at 14, this has been it. No sobbing, no suicidal thoughts, no wanting to sleep all day. I would give anything to get that one day back and lose all of these other days of insanity.

I've also just recently noticed some slight hair growth along my hairline down to my jaw. Which is how I got to this sight in the first place. Funny how I put up with mood swings for almost 2 years, but some extra hair on my face has me running to the computer in a panic!! :) Additionally, I've experienced shortness of breath, and in the past couple of months, leg cramps. I have never had a cramp in my calf in my life until these past couple of months. I don't know if Yasmin is the cause for any of these things, but it'll be interesting to see if they persist. As for sleeping, I have noticed some issues, but also attributed that to the divorce.

Has anyone out there had an increase in urination? I started Yaz in Feb. and since then I've been peeing like a race horse. My OBY said it was probably an overactive bladder, typical for a peri-menopausal woman. I had tests for bladder infections and they read negative. I was in the middle of relocating my family across many miles and I just put up with the symptoms. Now I find out there is microscopic blood in my urine and I am scheduled for a slew of tests probing for tumors, cancers, polyps, etc. in my bladder and kidneys. My Dad had bladder cancer so I'm pretty scared. However, I am starting to wonder if there is a Yaz connection. I hate the thought of returning to periods where I couldn't leave the house because I was bleeding so much but all the risks here are scaring me. I don't have an OBY here yet but assuming I am not harboring cancer or an other disease (i.e., kidney stones) I think I'll go off Yaz. I already have horrible migraines and acne so I'm wondering if it will all get worse. My headaches are the same (2-3 times a month) with Yaz and my skin is better. It's been pretty good for water weight but as I said, I am in the bathroom way too much.

Girls everywhere . I have one question and please you can reply in private or on here, whatever you like. Did any of the doctors that prescribed Yasmin to you ever give you a hormonal test? I have been going through really bad emotional mood swings for a white but did not have insurance so never really go myself checked out. So last month I went back to my home country and visited a gyno(where medicine is not so overpriced) who has been recommended to me by numerous people and he did a bunch of hormone tests on me concluded (by blood work) that I have a hormonal inbalance. Before the tests were done he obviously asked me a bunch of questions and I warned him that last time i had gone on a losely prescribed birth control(which is was suppose to be very low hormone dosage) I went practically nuts. After seeing my results and finding my inbalance he has prescribed Yasmin to me because apparently I have too much estrogen and other things I couldnt really understand because I am not a doctor but I think one of the things it does is to block some of these hormone from going to your brain. So My point after all this rambling is that ALL of our bodies are different and all birth controls are different and have different hormones which could drive a normal person insane with or without taking the pills SO my suggestion if you are having trouble with Yasmin is to get your hormone levels checked, Yasmin may be the devil to you but its probably because you dot need certain components that are in it or lack some. Get real tests done!

EVERYBODY REPLY TO THIS Let's see exactly how many women have had negative side affects from Yasmin. Just reply with the sideaffects. I see lots of posts and was wondering how many women are out there sharing similar problems. So me.... migraines, extremely horrible mood swings all from taking yasmin for 8-9 days next..........? lol

I have just come across this site, while looking to find out why I have been experiencing heart palpitations for the past two months - out of the blue!!! and usually "exercise" induced. I had some tests and have been told they are Premature Atrial Contractions "PACs". I started taking Yasmin in April, after having tried others over the past year (tri-cyclen lo and alesse) which did not work for me as the progestin was not strong enough. I am in my 40s and never took the pill before. Yasmin was great, it significantly reduced my "physical" pms (severe inflamation, severe bloating, severe sore breasts) which I experience for 2-3 weeks a month. However, sometime in mid to late June, I started getting palpitations/tremors out of the blue. The first episode freaked me out and lasted for about two weeks. At first I thought it was allergy medication mixed with my thyroid med, which can happen - but I cut out the allergy meds and still got them. They seem to come about 6hrs to a day after I fexercise/figure skate and they last from 2 to 5 five days. It's very irritating and nerve wracking, and I feel very agitated. I am also out of breath more than usual when walking up stairs, a little light headed and have some tightness in the chest. My legs also are weak, which makes no sense given my exercise regimen. I then lowered my thyroid replacement from .125 synthroid to .100 - too much thyroid med can cause some palpitations. Anyone who has mistakenly taken a second thyroid pill having forgotten that they already took one will understand. Even with the lower dose I am still getting the palpilations. I am totally at a loss as to why all of a sudden this is happening to me (perhaps perimenopause??). I have had the odd flutter here and there in my live, but nothing like this. It just doesn't make any sense ag ll. Can one's health just change like this overnight?. I am otherwise healthy, slim, have "lower" blood pressure (apprx 100-90/70-60)I skate 3 to 5 times a week, I have a full time job and yes I do push myself, but this is getting ridiculous. The only thing I can attribute it to is the Yasmin, ... but my symptoms only started after a few months not instantly, whereas it would seem that most of the the women here noticed the side effects faster. I hate to stop the Yasmin because I will have to return to pms "hell", but I suppose I will give it a try to see if the palpitations subside. At this point, I have been offered a low dose "beta blocker" and have refused. I am stunned to think that all of a sudden I have heart issues, especially since my Dr has always kidded me my that I will never have heart problems with my blood pressure. I will stop the Yasmin tonight and post another message in a few weeks one it is out my system. Here's hoping it is the Yasmin.
KarenSkaterGirl

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 started taking Yaz in January or this year, I was on it for 2 months when I called my doctor and said that my appetite changed so much I had practically stopped eating. I couldn't finish a meal and sometimes I'd have the feeling of being really hungry, but then when I sat down to eat, I'd become so nauseated I was afraid I'd get sick right at the table. My doctor then switched me to Yasmin and it was a world of difference. My only side effects would be interrupted sleep (very minimal), periods of tiredness, leg cramps and strangest of all, an increase in sex drive. I can probably right off the side effects as being contributed to my mild case of sleep apnea, working 40+ hours a week and being young and in love. They aren't bothersome enough to stop taking the medication. As like all medicines, its not for everyone. I think the benefits I'm receiving far out weight the small amounts of side effects I do experience, my skin has cleared up, my periods are now regulated and not so severe and best of all.. I'm not pregnant. Hopefully the other women here will find a BCP that suits them and new hopefuls looking for answers wont be too afraid to try Yasmin. Its changed my life for the better... like all medicine, its trail and error, don't rule it out before you try it. Good luck.

Hi, I have been on yasmin since September of 2006. During the past month and a half or so I have had nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and now the latest, leg cramps. I am just wondering if this could be due to taking Yasmin. I am 21 and in relatively healthy condition. I just want to feel healthy again...

mixed emotions... it was really bad for the first pack, nausea horrible! Now its okay except the LEG CRAMPS almost everynight, and headaches.

I've been on Yasmin for nearly 5 months now and as of last month, all the major side effects started really kicking in: leg cramps, fatigue, moodiness, weight gain, irritability, depression, foggy thinking, breast enlargement, vaginal infections, etc. So my question is this: If a woman experiences side-effects with one pill, won't she experience them with any and all other pills? I would almost rather just go off of them altogether because I feel like even though the drugs vary from one to another, ultimately they have the same effect: to fill you with hormones to "trick" your body into thinking it's pregnant all the time (no ovulation) so that you won't get pregnant.

Any thoughts?

To Jma and to all ladies who have leg cramps and calves problems,

I was on Yasmin for nearly 4 years, and I started to have problems with cramps (calves, feet) followed by joint problems (chronic tendonitis in my knees), a stabbing pain in my right arm that would not go (despite the amount of ibuprofen and paracetamol taken) and finally arthritis in my right shoulder. I would advise that you stop at once taking Yasmin, as these symptoms are mild at the beginning and become very severe in the future. Since I have stopped taking the pill 10 months ago, the chronic tendonitis has gone, my arthritis is not a problem anymore and the pain in my right arm has disappeared also. Please see my post of 04/05/07.

I have experienced a lot of muscle spasms, cramping in my calves while on yasmin (14 months). Has anyone

Dear Guest 43038,

Stop taking the Yasmin.

Itchy skin is a sign of an allergic reaction which many women have had to this pill and to Yaz.

If your period also hasn't stopped, it is due to the change in hormones (Yasmin has extremely low doses of artificial/synthetic hormones -as are birth control pills are not natural, and they suppress your own natural hormones. Not good that your period has not stopped. Again, another sign that you should stop taking the Yasmin.

The feeling down and moody again direct connection to the loss of iron having your period for 14 days, the extremely low hormones that have replaced your own natural hormones.

Leg cramps are also not good-and could be a risk for thrombosis (common report and risk of taking Yasmin as well as other bcp's-Yasmin has a higher risk of this-clotting).

You know what to do. Just listen to what your body is telling you. You don't need a doctor to let you know that. There are many risks associated with this pill-just see all the notes on this site in the forum and posted side effects. There is also another site-Yasmin Survivors (link posted throughout this site) with many women that will support your coming off of it.

Jasmine

I have had really itchy skin!! I've only been taking it for 14 days, and my period hasn't stopped. I always feel down and moody. I had leg cramps during the frist seven days but they seemed to have stoppped. I don't know what to do ... I want to stop taking it but I'm not sure if I should.

Hi Silke, Thank you for the link to the site. I will register and share my story. Has anyone else called Berlex? They are the company that makes Yasmin. They need to be bombarded with calls along with the FDA!
It is so amazing that doctors will not see that there is a correlation with Yasmin and so many incredbily debilitating side effects.
Stay in touch! Thank you for your thoughts and good wishes and all the best to the ladies here.

Metallicat20 - Your story is very similar to mine. I had terrible heart palpitations, leg cramps, short of breath, and my BP was 170/120 - it was 5:00am and it was so scary!!!!
I hope that you are feeling better.