Yasmin and liver

I'm 29, have been on birth control pills for 10 years, and switched to Yasmin about 2 years ago. I a small varicose vein in my right within 2 months of switching, but didn't think a relationship between my vasculature and the pill existed. I can now trace the entire vein from my right hip to my ankle. In the 2 years since starting Yasmin, my ankles and lower legs swelled heavily...but at very random times. It often began at the start of the 7-day sugar pill regime and finished by the time I started a new pack. I assumed that the estrogen withdrawal going into the sugar pills was too much for my body to handle and that the diuretic effects of Yasmin were obviously absent during that time. I also noticed leg cramping, heart palpitations, and I started waking up in the occasional hot sweat in a drenched bed.

So, after making sure that my heart and kidneys were healthy, my gynecologist prescribed continuous hormone Yasmin and claimed it as the "ultimate solution". For 4 months, I have skipped the sugar pills for each pack and started new packages immediately. I have not had a period since, and the edema has continued (still at random) and has become exponentially worse. In the last few weeks alone, the vein in my right leg has become massive, my legs are so distended by the end of the days on which they swellI that I can't fit into pants which are otherwise loose, I am noticing other large veins "surfacing", little veins are breaking everywhere, and I can now see most of the blood vessels beneath the skin in both legs. My primary care physician told me I have chronic venous insufficiency...a diagnosis I'm not okay with. I'm very worried...the changes and ensuing damage have happened way too quickly to be venous insufficiency. I am going to ween myself off of the pill, but don't know what the next step should be. Endocrinologist? Another OB/GYN? Anyone have ideas or similar experiences to share....

Wow. I posted about a month ago describing a list of symptoms that I've been dealing with for the past eight months. I was seeing a gastroenurologist to test for gallstones, pancreatitis, ulcers, IBS, etc... My blood tests showed that my Lipase was 400 (normal level is 60) and my Amalayse was just as high!--Dangerous levels! These both test your liver and pancreatic function, so my doctor concluded that I had pancreatitis due to something that he could not find. This made my doctor very nervous, so we ran a load of tests and he was stumped...

I decided to do a little experiment on my own. After reading your posts, I realized that all my symptoms started about when I started Yasmin. So I went off of it. Within days I started feeling better--and I had another blood test a month later and my levels are all NORMAL!

Yasmin caused me to have pancreatitis...that's really bad. And scary. What's in this stuff?

This pill should be taken off the market.

I took yasmin for 6 months to help with menopausal symptoms (very heavy menstral bleeding) and it gave me gall bladder disease. My gynocologist never warned me of the potentially devastating side effects of this drug on liver and gall bladder function. I only learned about them when I read in detail the manufacturer's disclosures available to doctors. Before this, I had NO problems with my liver or gall baldder, now I have to have surgery to have my gall bladder removed.

DO NOT take this pill, especially if you have, or have a family history of liver and gall bladder disease.

This pill is destined for a class action law suit from women like me.

hi guest 40706.
the bleed you experienced when you stopped taking yasmin was just a withdrawl bleed from stopping taking the pill,it was not a period as you do not ovulate when you are taking the pill,your next proper period may be delayed as your natural hormones need to build back up and take over,hopefully this will not be a long wait! in the mean time make sure you use some form of protection to be safe and if you have any doubts about a possible pregnancy do a test to make sure you are not pregnant. take a good vitamin and mineral supplement and consider some milk thistle to cleanse your liver of the build up of synthetic hormones.
i wish you all the best,hope you fell better soon.
sarah

hi guest 40578, sorry to hear about all the problems you have had with yasmin,all the side effects you mentioned are quite common, it is really important that you take good care of yourself whilst "detoxing" this cr@p out of your body,take a good multivit with magnesium and b6 & b12 you may also consider some milk thistle to cleanse your liver of all the excess bad hormones that are floating around your bloodstream. if you can scroll through these pages and the side effect pages you will find a link to the yasmin survivors site,i am afraid i cannot post the link anymore as the people who run this board have asked me not to because it obviously diverts traffic from this site,the yasmin survivors site is for women who have taken yasmin or yaz and are dealing with the side effects both whilst on and off yasmin,there is loads of information about supplements to try and also it is just a place to chat to ther women who know what you are going through.
best wishes to you.

sarah

Dear Silke, and all

i hear what you say about the bleeding and have had similar problems myself. Update on my naturopath visit as he confirmed my low iron and liver issues from the pill. I am now on a liverdetoxification supplement shake for dinner to let my liver try and renew itself and also a supplement called adenosine that takes you into a deep night sleep naturally to try and repair the damage done to the brain thru yasmin, i must admit i have been on this for over 6weeks now and i feel much better and he tells me that until the liver is repaired then the weight will not go so lets hope this can repair my liver enough to drop the kilos. i am also on a iron supplement as my levels are low. One month in an my period come on time and unlike last month where i had cramping,clots,pain and a 7 day bleed i have had a 26 day cycle and my period is on a 3 day and then back to no period which is great
stay in touvh
lisa

Dear Silke and all here,

toda i had my 12mth post yasmin bloods done and the results showed that i am low in iron....suprise...and my liver is not functioning at its proper rate a side effect no doubt caused through this wonderful drug. This she feels may be why i am carrying the weight besides eating and exercise well.
Just to update the new people to the site i struggled like you all anxiety , high blood pressure massive panic attacks to the point that i gave up a great job as i thoguht i was going mad, had the floaters in the eyes and now all these symptons have slowly faded but like you all in the beginning i felt like i was destined to feel so bad like i did. It got better around the 3-5mth mark and now apart from the weight gain and puffiness i am doing 90% ok. i work again can look after my three kids great and life is returning to how it was. I take every day religiosly flaxseed oil capsules, magnesium supplements and now after seeing a naturopath i am about to take whatever he prescibes for the liver natural of course. Just remember its going to get better i thought i was going to die, i felt useless could not ever go for a walk i quit my job and now things are ok, so take note and remember its hard every day but everyday is a day closer to yasmin recovery. Drink lots of water and i listened to charles linden relation tapes for my anxiety and i too think this helped train my mnd again to laugh at these attacks as a mindless game. Charles Linden wrote noone has ever died from an anxiety attack so remember whats the worst it can do, dont feed these attacks laugh at them and remember its the yasmin doing it and once your mind believes that the cycle begins to break
take care and you can always post me as i still check in each day
Lisa

hi claudia, you poor thing,i really feel for you,i know exactly how you are feeling right now as i have been there. that kind of workbook does your psychotherapist have you following? how do they suggest you deal with the panic/anxiety attacks? that may be the best place to start,i know what worked for me but i searched for my own methods.please let me know what they suggest and i will see if i can give you some practical tips that will help. as far as cleaning out your system... i take magnesium daily,as well as a b complex and b6. stear clear of tea and coffee,drink camomille tea to soothe your nerves and to help restful sleep.you could also try nettle tea to cleanse the liver as the liver has to process all the excess hormones you need it to be working at it's best to rid you of toxins faster. eat a diet high in fibre as the fibre will also cleanse your system and will help remove excess hormones. other than that drink loads and loads of water as dehydration is an anxiety sufferers worst enemy. it will take time but you WILL get better,you really need to work on the mental aspect of the panic attacks with positive thinking techniques etc.as i said before let me know what treatments your psychotherapist has suggested and i will see if i can add to it. i won't say i don't still have a little anxiety about panic attacks happening but i have many great techniques that i use that have so far......kept me panic attack free. please get back to me and i will do all i can to help. i could give you some book titles that i read that really helped me if you would like,you can buy them on ebay for very little cost. also which country do you live in?

sarah

Hi there

I am coming to the end of my first pack of Yasmin after being on Dianette for a year for bad skin and irregular periods. During the year of being on dianette I was very tired and ill and was eventually diagnosed with glandular fever. It's taking a long time to get over and I also have family and work problems adding to the stress. I have noticed since starting to take Yasmin that I have been nauseous and having tummy troubles everyday and I have headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, crying all the time etc etc. I have had all these symtoms on and off for the past year having been ill before but now am convinced they are being made worse by Yasmin. Do you think this is likely? I am fed up with seeing the doctor (have been there so much this year) but maybe I should see if I can switch to something else? Also maybe have another blood test to check my potassium since my liver was a little bit affected by the glandular fever. What does anyone think?
Cheers
Millie

Sorry, again to the poster with the HEAT SENSATIONS:

You wrote much more, that I'm experiencing, too!!!

>>loose yellow stools (gross I know). ---> YES, I had that a few months ago UNDER Yasmin and now it's starting again after nearly 9 months off Yasmin!! Very strange colour of stool, very light, nearly beige or yellow!!!! I heard from some women, that this might show problems with your gall bladder or liver!!

>>How about shortness of breath? ---> YES, and sometimes in a very heavy way!!!

>>Finger swelling?---> YES, at some days it isn't possible to put my marriage ring down from my finger or pull my hand to a fist b/c of the swelling!!!

>>How long does this continue? It has been almost 9 months!
---> That's the question I'm asking myself every day and in my case it's been almost 9 months after Yasmin, too!!!

Some women wrote, that it took them about a year and longer to get completely healthy again after Yasmin!! So I'm still looking forward to that day and try not to go mad about all the symptoms I'm still having. I just try to look at the circumstance, that it all has gotten very much better than it was a few months ago and I can do many things again, that I wasn't able to do a few months ago, too!!

Keep us updated of how you're doing!! Best wishes to you!!

Has any one had tenderness or swelling in the upper right side of adomen like the liver area?

Hey Girls...
I posted a while back when I first got off yasmin. I have have been off it now for 2 months. I still haven't been able to lose weight, My Hair is even thinner, I cry every time I wash my hair b/c of the crazy amounts that I see go down the drain and even more when I brush it. My hair was soo thick and now, you can see my scalp from all sides..I'm only 21!!!!! I went to the doc and did some blood test, and everything seems fine except my liver, I don't drink like the average college student, so I know it can't be that, it must have been yasmin.
Does anybody have any advice for my hair??? I am desperate!!!! I started taking Biotin but my hair has only gotten worse! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!

HI EVERYONE, THANKS FOR POSTING YOUR SIDE EFFECTS FOR THE YASMIN PILL. I'VE BEEN TAKING THIS PILL FOR 9 MONTHS AND I AM JUST REALIZING THE EFFECT IT IS HAVING ON MY LIFE. I HAVE BEEN VERY MISERABLE FOR THE LAST 8 MONTHS. I'VE HAD CRYING FITS, ANGRY FITS, AND ANY OTHER FIT YOU CAN THINK OF. I WAS ON THE DEPO BEFORE THIS AND IT TOOK A YEAR AND A HALF FOR ANY REAL SIDE EFFECTS BOTHERED ME. I WAS TESTED FOR GALL BLADDER AND THE VALVE IN MY LIVER IS ENLARGED. THE DOCTOR IS SAYING IT COULD BE FROM MEDICATION. WELL I AM BELIEVING IT IS THIS EVIL LITTLE PILL I'VE BEEN TAKING. I'VE HAD MY EYES CHECKED BECAUSE OF BLURRY VISION AND I'VE HAD MY DOCTOR TREAT FOR KIDNEY PROBLEMS BUT I THINK IT IS THE PILL NOW THAT I READ THESE POSTINGS. I AM GOING TO MY GI SPECIALIST IN 2 HOURS AND THIS SITE HAS GAVE ME A LITTLE INFORMATION TO FEEDBACK WHAT COULD BE WRONG. THE BIGGEST THING IS EVERY SITUATION I'VE BEEN IN LATELY HAS BEEN A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE THAT WAS REALLY BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION BECAUSE OF THIS LITTLE EVIL PILL. I'VE SCARED MYSELF TO BELIEVE I AM DYING AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. MY HUSBAND SAID WE ARE GOING TO COUNSELLING REAL SOON. BUT NOW I THINK I AM GOING TO STOP THIS LITTLE PILL TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS FIRST. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!