Yasmin and muscle weakness

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!

Hi everyone, I've been off Yaz for two weeks now and have had severe depression, emotional numbness, anxiety, muscle weakness, migraines, and on and on. The symptoms are actually getting worse in some ways since I went off the Yaz.

I'm hoping someone can tell me whether they've had any success in going on another birth control pill after Yasmin/Yaz in order to stabilize side-effects of depression and anxiety, which are what freaks me out the most. I've been off Yaz for two weeks now and if anything my side-effects have gotten worse. I'm seeing a doctor and trying to figure out what's going on, but in the meantime I am desperate to feel like myself again. I'd rather not go on anything else hormonal for the long-term, but I'm considering going back on an older, completely different prescription (Loestrin) which didn't cause me any psychological side-effects. One of my doctors says it should be fine, but the other doesn't want me to do it. Has anyone else felt an improvement in depression and anxiety from going onto a different pill prescription? Thanks for your help!!

I have been noticing an increase in tiredness and muscle weakness. Also I am most concerned about the constant ache in my breasts and ovaries.

Dear Jen,

wow, this TSH of 0,009 (or 0,09?) sounds very very low.... The normal ranges (well, here in GErmany, I think it's in US the same...?) lie between 0,5 and 2,5...

Didn't they do anything for your thyroid? I think you should get checked this again.

In my case it's the opposite, I'm experiencing a subclinical hypothyreoidism, my TSH was a bit high (4,1). And I read very often, that the pill is also interacting with our thyroids.

So perhaps time will heal that thing but everyone should get checked for thyroid-problems, I think, because this can also cause all those symptoms of anxiety, dizzyness, tiredness, nervousness, muscle weakness and many more...

I wish you all the best, Jen, and keep us updated on how you're doing!!

Greetings
Silke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No one knows no one understands no one knows whats wrong

Iam forgetting things things I know I know its all scary

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

I want to be me again

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

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

Anyone who can shed light and hope please say

I have been taking Yaz for almost one month now and I am noticing hundreds of changes. Originally this was prescribed to me for my extreme mood swings and sadness and a tendency towards ovarian cysts.
I have to start by describing my medical situation as after reading these posts I am growing extremely concerned about whether I should be taking this at all. About 4 years ago I had acne so bad that nothing would help. My Gyno put me on Orthotricyclin and a steroid, which I can't recall the name of now. I took that for almost 3 years, until I noticed my life was becoming full of depression and weight issues. I consulted the doctor about this, and since I had clear skin, I was ready to get off both pills. I said that no matter how much I tried to lose weight, I couldn't. He basically said that I was depressed because I was too fat and that I needed to keep trying to lose weight. Well, out of frustration, I quit the pill and the steroid. With the steroid you should come off slowly and taper, but I just took one month to come off and that was it. Of course, I got really sick, with all kinds of muscle problems and weakness, and had my first problems with ovarian cysts. The muscle weakness was from the adrenal gland having to all of a sudden work on its own, my new doctor said. Eventually, after visits to an endocrinologist and a cardiologist and a possible hole in my heart, I started to get better. This all finally was over about a year ago. In July of last year I moved in with my fiance (to Germany from Texas...a big change) and it was my first time to live with a guy. My body started to go crazy, as if it was working overtime to get pregnant or something. My hormones went crazy, I was an emotional wild woman. I had never ending cramps and finally saw a doctor in Germany about it. He confirmed my ovarian cysts were back in action. When I got to go back to the US for a visit, my doctor said that I should try Yaz, and gave me packs for free since I wouldn't get it without prescription in Germany. As soon as I started, my nipples became so sensitive they couldn't be touched. My emotions started to level out, but almost to the point of not caring about anything. I have had a few cramps, and spotting since last week although I am not due for another 5 days. My back pain is worse, and I have zero desire to have sex. I have a lot of itching, not only around my vagina but on my legs and arms as well. I do have a sense of sadness, and when I try and think about why, it always comes back to having taken the steroid and being in this position in the first place. And that I cannot get myself in the mood to have sex with my (now) husband. The doc basically said that I should take this only for 6 months to do what she referred to as a hormone flush. And that directly after that I could even try to have a baby. I am at a loss of what to do. I realize that this is kind of a complaining letter rather than a post of symptoms, but I have to talk somewhere.

IRON DEFICIENCY or ANEMIA

I already told you ladies about iron deficiency in one of my earlier posts. But yesterday my doc finally supposed the same when I told him about my now again upcoming symptoms (tight chest, breathlessness after walking or doing anything, muscle weakness, nausea, tiredness, circulation problems, etc.).

So I'll finally get my iron levels checked on friday (my gyn, whom I had visited a few weeks before, didn't do anything like that at all, he again just told me to "wait and see" if the problems perhaps get better by themselves..... Wow, what a nice suggestion in such a bad situation. Thank you!).

Perhaps one thing for some of you to get checked, too!? I think it might be worth it and could be another chance to find a solution!!

Check the symptoms of iron deficiency over google or whatever, I'm sure you'll find some of yours!!

All the best to you out there!!

Silke

To all women who have suffered from Yasmin,

I stopped taking that pill early July 06 after taking it for 4 years. Before I stopped I was suffering from:
- anxiety, irritability, irrationality (nearly split up with boyfriend)
- ear problems (damaged eardrums, constant ear blocage (none of the ephedrine medication worked)
- Severe muscle cramps (feet and calves)
- Pains in my right shoulder and arm
- Regular faintings (I found myself a few times in ER/ none of the tests they did show any abnormalities)
- Pain in my lower stomach
- Complete lack of energy
- No enthusiasm about what I used to enjoy doing
- Felt sick everytime I did some hiking (going up a hill for ex)
- Heart palpitations especially in the mornings when getting up
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen and aching gums (even the dentist thought they were strange and could not understand why as I had a perfect mouth hygiene)

At the time, I did not think at all about Yasmin as a poison, but slowly I realised I was sick because of it. Everytime I took it I felt disgusted like my body was saying: 'ENOUGH, I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS STOP IT!!'
I stopped early July 06 and since then slowly, I am becoming myself again. I suffered when I stopped especially of muscle weakness and ear problems but after 7 months off it, the muscles are becoming strong again (I have been doing light excercises since I stopped the pill) and my ears start to feel normal again.

The only new thing at the moment is that I gained 2kgs (about 4lb) in weight only around my tummy !!
Has anybody out there got the same problem? Is this normal ?
Does the weight go down once your body has completely recovered? How long does it take?

Thank you for your comments. I simply want to add :
IF YOU TAKE YASMIN AND FEEL BAD STOP IT NOW ! YOU WILL FEEL WORSE FOR A WHILE AFTER STOPPING IT BUT YOU WILL RECOVER SOONER OR LATER!! IT IS JUST A MATTER OF PATIENCE

@guest 34715:

Please check out my post from about 2 - 3 days ago. It was a very long post where I nearly told my story again completely. The most frightening side effects again here:

anxiety
uncontrollable panic attacks (day and night), and during taking yasmin always about 8 hours after taking it (about 5 am within my sleep!! not necessary to mention that these have stopped nearly immediately after getting off!!)!!
muscle hurting
muscle weakness
dizziness
tiredness to the point where I thought I'd pass out
fainting spells
weakness all over my body
headaches
nervousness (sometimes to a point, where I thought I'd go totally crazy)
muscle fasciculations
blurred vision (totally frightening!!)
breathlessness
tight throat
heavy feeling on my chest from time to time
joint aching

Simply everything was completely too much for me, for about 3 months I even couldn't talk to someone on the phone without getting a fainting spell and dizziness

and the list goes on.......

Greetings
Silke

Kim:

It seems you didn't read all of the posts, that have been written here during the last days. There is noone who says, you will be like you are now forever!!

You think noone here was as bad as you and dejay Kim???
Ok, I think I didn't tell my whole story for too long. So here it is. And dear, believe me: I and many other ladies were exactly as bad as you and maybe even worse!!!

I also nearly lost my job, because I wasn't able to work for months!!!!! I wasn't able to sing in my band, which I had done until that time for 14 years, which really broke my heart!!

I didn't even leave my house for about 3 months, and after this time I went out to the supermarket only together with my husband, never alone and only for a few minutes because I wasn't able to stand more than a few minutes without getting a fainting spell!!! I simply was no longer "alive"!!!

Tingling arms and legs, hurting muscles, muscle weakness, headaches to the point where I wanted to put my head off! Fainting spells without any reason, just doing a few steps to the toilet nearly made me break down, breathlessness like an 90years old ill person just after doing a few steps around here in my living room, aching joints, numb feeling in my legs, arms, and the list goes on!!

I went through a total hell and worse! I really believed I was goin' to die within the next months and believe me: At some point I couldn't even awate it, because I didn't want to feel all this any longer!!!

Well, I normally don't really want to think back to that time, because it was a living nightmare, which I'm still somehow shocked about!

Some days I even wasn't able to go into another room here in my own house because of the anxious feeling, the dizziness, the faint feeling and the breathlessness and weakness! Most of the time, my husband had to stay with me even on toilet!!!!!!

My head was foggy, I felt as if my life was just a dream and I wasn't really awake. I was sitting here all day in ONE room, trying to read a paper or watch TV, couldn't even work on my computer or do ANYTHING else because I had very bad vision problems and nervousness to the point where I thought, I'd go crazy about that!!

Sometimes a day I got some tiredness which wasn't only tiredness. It felt, as if someone had knocked me down and I was going to faint! I never had such a frightening feeling my entire life before!!!

My mum and dad had to come around here every day to cook for us and do our household because I wasn't even able to wash the dishes or something else because of my severe symptoms. I had turned into a total "baby", just awaiting the day that they would even have to wash me and put my clothes on!!

And for about 5 months NOONE could find out anything, thousands of doctor's visits and NOTHING!!!!! And no one was aware, my bcp could make me feel like this until I found an endocrinologist who really admitted, that all this could be brought on by my holy Yasmin!!!!! That was day 1 of my new life!!!

The next 3 - 4 months after getting off still were pure hell. But Kim and dejay, one thing you should know: I HAD BEEN ON THAT NIGHTMARE PILL FOR OVER 5 YEARS!!!!!!! And not only a few weeks or months!!

What should I tell you more?? I think this should be enough for you to see, that you're not the only ones who are doing that bad!

And comparing how long I had been taking that sh... and knowing how long you only had been on it should give you so much hope! Think about it!

I went through the hell I mentioned above for about 8 months!! And what do you see: I'm still here and look at me now:

I'm working again, singing again (have 3 new bands!), living again. Even though not everything is back to where it should be I started to live again and have still hope, that I'll be back to normal one day and completely can forget, what I've been going through!! What do you think how anxious should I be about a permanent damage, after being 5 years on this poison??????

So please kim and dejay, listen to what the ladies here are telling you and try to keep your chins up and keep in head what you've been told here so many times. IT WILL GET BETTER!!! I think you NOW know that I'm aware how hard that is and that I don't tell you just some "stories" without knowing what I'm saying.

I'm working as a lawyer's assistant and believe me: Even my boss isn't willing to start a lawsuit against a pharmazeutic group! It's sad but true: We can't really prove that we got those problems because of Yasmin and that's the problem!! There IS no doc who will attest us that fact!!! The only thing we can do is help each other, listen to each other and try not to loose hope and stay strong. This is what brought me back to life again, and nothing else!!!

And to your pacification: I finally found TWO doctor's who admitted, that the cause of all this COULD definitely be Yasmin!!

Hope that helps somehow, but please READ it, especially kim and dejay!!

Ant the others: Sorry for that long post, but I think it was really necessary!!!

Best wishes !!

Silke

Hi everyone,
I have not posted in awhile because I have been going through a really tough time. I have gotten worse. I been off about 7 weeks now. I am sorry and also embarrassed to say that I had to start an A/D called Lexapro. I was always into everything natural and never would do this before but the Yaz has just totally messed my brain up. I became so suiscidal and depressed where I could not even leave my house. I have 2 children who I could not even take care of. I tried everything natural for a couple of weeks with no success. It was basically death or try this medication. I had no choice. I have only been on it for a week a very low dose and still feel horrible. The sleep jerking is the only thing that got a little better. But now I read all your post and feel helpless that I could not do this on my own like all of you. I also was healthy and happy before this pill. Never had thoughts of anxiety or killing myself. I wake up in pure panick since taking the Yaz. Now the muscle weakness makes sence. I have been suffering with muscle aches and shakiness since the pill too. i just thought it was me. Nothing about me is the same anymore. I lost alot of weight but now my fingers are puffy and feet are puffy since going off the pill. Yasmin and yaz are such dangerous pills. I really feel it scrambled my brain. My doctor does believe the pill caused a chemical in balance in my brain with the serotonin and 2 other hormones, I can't remember the name. They control our stress levels, sleep levels and pain feelings. He really believe the pill altered these chemicals. My body forgot how to sleep. I feel like my brain is so scrambled. My thyroid became alittle hyperactive too from the pill. The body aches are sometimes so unbearable, my legs and feet are the worst. It makes you feel like there is something else wrong with you. I have pain in my head always, my vision is not the same. I just get so sad because I feel i will never get better and now I had to take this stupid A/D. I am so scared but what choice did I have? I really feel that we need to do something. Something needs to be done about this medicine. I am so angry that we are all suffering like this. IT's like they put somekind of chemical warfare in it or something. I am in touch with other woman from other websites that were on this pill and they are so sick too. We all want answers of what really happend to us after this pill. Sometimes its hard for me to get out of bed. Did other people feel like this? I feel like I have the flu. I have all these brain fogs all the time. The sleeping is the worst, it;s like my body really forgot how to sleep. I still get the muscle twithcing alot at night. Does anyone get muscle twitching? Please let me know.

hi guest 33998.
you are quite right,you do need to get off it! i never really had what i would call anxiety before. i have always been shy and what i would call "cautious" i did have a few panic attacks growing up but they were very very few and far between and were mainly linked to my shyness! i started on yasmin in jan 05 and by july 05 i was a complete wreck,i was so scared i could not even walk my kids the 2 min walk to school,i couldn't go out of the house at all but i was also afraid to be in the house. it really spiralled out of control.i was not taking any other medication either,i pretty much use herbs and vitamins apart from the odd aspirin here and there! i bought all kinds of programmes for anxiety disorders and while they helped me understand my fears and feelings and gave me some great coping techniques i still did not understand how i had developed an anxiety disorder....until i found this site.....it made sense that it could well be this pill and the synthetic hormones that were causing all the panic attacks and aches & pains. sure enough i stopped taking yasmin 8 months ago and have just been getting better and better...the anxiety is now just a background feeling,barely noticable most of the time,and i suspect it is me that holds on to the feelings as memories and make myself more anxious than i actually am. all the other physical side effects have now pretty much subsided. to me it was like have the worst case of constant pms (the clinical defintion not the oooh i feel a bit pmsie type !) constant sore boobs,back ache,stomach pains,sinus problems,racing heart,palpitations,frequent urination,headaches,hair loss,bloating,pins and needles,shaking,muscle weakness...the list goes on. i would suggest that you come off yasmin,take a good multivit with b6 and extra magnesium and zinc.give your body a good few months to get rid of the build up of synthetic hormones then consider your future contraceptive options when you are feeling back to normal. well done for being able to cope with your anxiety it can be so hard sometimes to deal with but you sound like you cope really well.
best of luck to you whatever you decide to do,if you need any help or advice in the future please come back here,there are so many wonderful women on this site that all know how you feel and will all help if they can.

sarah

hiya all! silke! flowerbabies!

i hope every one is doing ok.

i have now been of that evil pill for about 8 months.

flowerbabies
i too have that muscle weakness, its so awful, i cant say that i have it just one place though its sometimes in my left arm but really and truly its in my whole body especially a few days before my periods, during and about 7 days after too, so as you can see its their pretty much most of the time. im sorry i cant be of more help. but if you are really worried about it please go and see a doctor to rule out anything else.

i have developed all sorts of other things recently, which are acid reflux, really bad chest pain, constant sore throat.
please help if you too have experienced any of the above.
i dont know what else to say really im so tired of feeling like this , i just want to feel normal again, it really gets me down.

please please reply

silke,
i havnt heard from you, i honestly hope you are doing ok.

thanks ladies
god bless you all
sophieXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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.

Hi Chris

I just wanted to let you know that someone cares how you are feeling. Believe me, I do. I was on Yasmin for close to 2 years when all hell broke loose for me - anxiety and panic attacks, heart palpitations, muscle weakness ..... the list goes on and on! I thought I was going crazy ..... I was so down and thought that I would never get my life back. It has been 10 months now off of Yasmin and I am so much better. I am 38 years old so I chose not to get back on any kind of pills. I truly believe that Yasmin should not be prescribed so PLEASE, if you can... try not to get back on Yasmin. Good luck to you and know that someone shares your pain. As you can see, I still come to this website to read all of the post (10 months later). Take care of yourself!

Hi BitterRN!!

(Sorry ladies if this seems to get a "privat chat", but I think our "written books" can surely be helpful to others of you, too....)

Well, I absolutely understand, what you say. And this is surely an option I will get checked (ok, if I ever will have the power to go to another doctor again after my aimless oddyssey in 2005.......!). I think I should mention, that here in Germany the health system has gotten really difficult in the past 6 - 7 years so that the doctor's could not make every test on you which might be helpful. So it's really difficult to get blood tests (especially the expensive ones as homormonal testings...) done by a doc. That's what my situation always made even more difficult, than it already was...

But one thing I really don't understand: My perhaps low testosterone levels still don't explain, why I was doing so much better the last few months (as I already told here in former posts, I even started singing in my band again and I really felt good, about 85% like my old self!!) and now, after that bad cold 3 weeks ago, the tiredness and muscle weakness and stiffness (also craming in my legs during night and day) kicked in at once as if I was thrown back to nearly one year ago... I really feel and think, that his must be a lack of some minerals or vitamines again (magnesium because of the cramping legs and fingers, perhaps b-vitamines??? I feel so unsure......). Maybe this comes on top of the testosterone or other hormonal problem and makes my symptoms worse...!??? But I deeply feel, that there MUST be something else above the definitely still lasting hormonal imbalance...

Thank you BitterRN for answering so quickly and detailed!!

best wishes
Silke

Hi Sarah!!

Good to hear that your doc finally has put 2 and 2 together!! Well, I think doctor's should more often REALLY hear, what their patients are telling and not just do or believe what they can find in their "big wise books".

It's very interesting what you wrote about anxiety and dehydration. So your doctor really thinks, that dehydration may cause a raise of anxiety attacks??

Well, I watched myself getting more problems with anxiety again during hot summer days, especially when I've been sweating very much and forgot to drink enough. The muscle weakness is then coming up a little again (well, though DEFINITELY not as bad as it was one year ago!!) and I have to deal with the anxiety again, more than usual!! And another thing I found out: Magnesium is helping me very good with that symptoms.

So it seems as if my body has still problems with that dehydration and loss of minerals and vitamines brought on by Yasmin while taking it 5 long years until February 2005... The slightest change in those things (well, like not enough drinking, etc.) causes still some symptoms...

Could I be right with that speculation??

Best wishes to you and greetings from Germany!!

Silke

I read the stories here and just had to post. I was on Yasmin for about 5 months or so. I didn't know there was a problem due to the pill until I was hospitalized with DVT (deep vein thrombosis), in other words, a potentially lethal blood clot. I have no family history and no other reason for this but the pills, I was strongly usged by my doc to stop taking the at once. I too had many of the problems you ladies had and I don't think any of us should feel foolish for not putting 2 and 2 together. I have had sudden vision problem (floaters and blurred vision) and the muscle weakness you spoke of. This is so scary, I just hope that spreading the word can save someone else from having to go through this.

Hi flowerbabies!!

Your story sounds as if it had been written by me!!

I've experienced exactly the same symptoms and even some others like muscle weakness, muscle aching, joint aching, extreme shortness of breath (and I was so fit and healthy before that nightmare......), sometimes I felt as if I was going to faint after walking a few steps or doing something in my house, and so on..... I didn't recognize myself at all. A 31 year old healthy woman turned into an 80 year old ill grandma within a day....

And another thing which every woman should remember:

I've met so many women here during the last year, and the least of them had experienced the side effects already within the first months!! Most of them even felt good with Yasmin for over 1 or 2 years until they'd been hit at once by the worst health problems, they ever experienced!!!

Please ladies, be careful with that Yasmin stuff!! I've been on 3 other brands before Yasmin without any problems. This is definitely the worst pill I have ever been taking!!

All the best to you flowerbabies and keep goin on!! Things will get better and better (as you have already seen within the last weeks)!!

Silke

And this was brought to me by that "wonder pill", as I thought Yasmin was for the first 2 years. I know it, because I've been off that stuff now for over one year and I'm constantly getting better... In January 2005 I thought my life was about to end and I will never get better, because no one found out, what was going wrong with me!!

Hi Everyone,
First of all I would like to thank everyone for their posts because wihtout them, I would not be where I am today. I had been on Yasmin for 4 years and it has taken that long for me to notice that it has been destroying my life piece by piece. I had become severely depressed and had thoughts of suicide. I had numerous side effects including zero libido, dizziness, muscle weakness, panic attacks, anxiety, rapid heart rate, thirstiness, dry throat, eye twitches, massive hair loss, dry coughing in the middle of the night, crying for no reason, inability to cope with any kind of stress, scalp sensitivity, migraine headaches, and hopelessness. I was impossible to live with and nearly lost everything including my family. I'm happy to say that I've been off Yasmin for a month and a half and my outlook on life has dramatically improved. Most of my symptoms have subsided. I do occasionally have episodes of anxiety but they are less frequent. Stopping Yasmin has saved my life and my marriage. THIS A DANGEROUS PILL AND THE FDA NEEDS TO PULL IT OFF THE MARKET. I work in a hospital and cared for a 22 year old female who was taking Yasmin. She had massive pulmonary emboli with a pulmonary infarct and nearly died. There are so many other birth control pills and methods to choose from. There is hope after Yasmin and it only gets better. I'm living proof. I was able to get pregnant immediately after stopping Yasmin. Please don't wait until your life is ripped to shreds because of this pill. Just get off it after you complete your current pill pack. The road ahead will be challenging but it will be worth it. Make sure to drink plenty of water and take your vitamins. I highly recommend yoga during detox off Yasmin. I've seen a therapist and she told me that she "didn't buy" my Yasmin story. That's ok. I know the truth. Don't worry. This storm will pass. I wish you all the very best.

Hi everyone

I have been off of Yasmin for 5 months now. I know alot of you out there are still suffering, but please know that it does get better with time. Although I am feeling a whole lot better, I still sometimes have muscle weakness, especially in my arms. Today, I have what feels like tendonitis in my right arm. I was wondering, has anyone else had this lingering symptom from being on Yasmin? I also have eye floaters which I did not have prior to Yasmin. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks

Hi Hill!!

So good to hear, that you're also doing better week by week.

I just wanted to let you know, that I had gained about 40 pounds (20 kg) AFTER I went off Yasmin within 3 months without eating more or doing anything else different than before!! I was totally shocked, because before this Yasmin nightmare I always was a healthy fit and very slim person (I'm 31 years old now).

And my weight is decreasing finally since around february 2006!! It goes down kg by kg (around 1 kg, about 2 pounds, a month) and AGAIN WITHOUT changing anything in my life!!

For me another sign for the case, that Yasmin had messed up my whole metabolism and it's only now, one year later, (got off Yasmin in February 2005!!) finally getting better. I'm still not able to excercise very much, because my body was completely broken down after 5 years on Yasmin. From December 2004 to May 2005 I went through a total hell with 100s of symptoms like muscle weakness, dizzyness, fainting spells and much much more... Well, my muscles are still not back to completely normal. But the weight is decreasing nevertheless, just because everything is slightly going back to normal. So I think you should give your body more time to get its metabolism back in order. As I see now in my case, the weight finally even goes back "by itself", because everything gets back in balance again!!

Best wishes to all of you out there, and all of the Yasmin starters: PLEASE be so careful with this medicine!!! I was totally fine on it for about 2 years, when the first symptoms hit my at once (without realizing, that it was the Yasmin!!). After about 5 years on it I broke down completely and thought my life was about to end!! Listen to your body and stop this pill immediately if something unusual is happening to you!!!

Big hugs to everyone!!

Silke

Hello Everyone,

I've just read posts over the past few weeks and wanted to find out from anyone who has stopped taking Yasmin if they have tried detoxing and cleansing the body after they went off of it? I read on another site that someone did that and it helped her tremendously but wanted to hear from others. I'm for sure considering it if it will actually help cleanse my system any quicker. I fortgot to add in my earlier post about the tingling in my arms and muscle weakness as well as extreme anxiety/stress/depression. I did mention before but have had extreme weight gain. However, I'm also experiencing brain fog, problems with memory and just the whole thought process. I believe I will also try reading all of the books suggested.

Thanks,

Tammy

Hey Rita!!

Thank you so much for your post!! That sounds very interesting and could be a solution for many of us. But I'm really afraid of perhaps again not finding the right doctor, who finally admits that our problems (I'm off Yasmin for over 1 year now, and still not 100% back to normal life......) are connected and brought on by Yasmin...

Exactly as you told, my gyn told me last year around july (had a blood test done there) that my hormone levels are "pretty" normal, though they were at the edge of what's normal (totally low)..... But I know, that this is already enough (hormones at the edge of being too low) to cause severe problems!!

I feel a little encouraged now to go and search again for an endocrinologist who could perhaps help me, too. I also have to mention, that I still didn't get my period. I had only one normal period around easter 2005 after getting off the pill!! So there definitely IS a connection between my still lasting symptoms (sometimes dizzyness, a little anxiety, a little weakness and so on, though everything much lighter as it was last year!!!) and my hormone levels, which are obviousely still messed up.

Did your doc tell anything further about that dehydration and the effects of that diuretic in Yasmin?? I would be so thankful to hear, if he thinks that this stuff could have caused my very heavy muscle weakness and muscle aching during the last year (has eased up but is STILL not completely gone!!).

Well I think that the dehydration brought on by that diuretic is on the other hand causing a heavy loss of vitamines and electrolytes. That could be an explanation for the fact, that in my case (I guess many other women would say the same) the symptoms slowly increased over the years and always got a little worse while I had some illness like a flu or such or while I was working out (because of the sweating)...

Over summer 2004 I got weaker and weaker and after a heavy cold with fever and sweating over 3 weeks in october 2004 i broke down completely with muscle aches, weakness and dizzyness and many more symptoms......

Sorry, if my posts always get that long, but I'm still searching for reasons of my severe illness I've been going through and which has lasted for over 8 months (that were only the hardest months... There were another 12 months where I didn't feel really fit and already had problems....) and is still just very slowly getting better...

God bless you all!!

Silke

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

Hi guest 18063!!!

Thank you so much for your post!! You spread the words that I'm feeling and you describe the same thing I experienced ("NO, the pill can't cause SUCH heavy symptoms, YOU JUST have a panic disorder", etc..... And deep in my heart I always knew, that it wasn't at all JUST me, because that's no way the person I am normally!! And I was right!!!).

Just ONE female doctor (endocrinologist) admitted, that the pill CAN really cause such symptoms and that the only thing I could do to find out, is try to get off Yasmin and see what happens!!! (And SHE was so right!!!)

You are absolutely right and it's so delighting to read your words and see, that we are really not alone and there is someone who understands what the docs are doing to us by NOT LISTENING and just looking at their lists or such....

You also wrote about that spironolactone in Yasmin; do you think that this perhaps could have caused the sometimes very heavy muscle aches and muscle weakness in my case (which was one of the worst symptoms besides the panic attacks and fainting spells during december 2004 to may 2005)?? Well, I know now, that Yasmin is definitely causing a lack of vitamines and minerals (especially b-vitamines and magnesium, etc.) and that this could cause such symptoms (and not to forget, that I had been taking that sh.... for 5 long years....). But I don't know how that spironolactone can affect your body....

Would be very helpful to hear from you again!!

Best wishes and big hugs to everyone out there!!

Silke

antiyasmin-

I took Yasmin in October, Nuvaring in November, then switched back to Yasmin because of all the awful side effects I had with the nuvaring. The first week on it was ok, then I got this headache that was pretty severe, almost to the point it was hard to function. Nothing at all would take the headache away. It lasted for 3 full weeks. In that time I also had dizzy spells and chest pains. I took myself off it and decided to go on yasmin because the only side effect at the time was that I was more emotional than usual, I did not have any headaches with Yasmin and that was a plus for me!
after just two more months on Yasmin it felt like all hell broke loose. I felt I was losing my mind. Every moment of every day I felt like something was wrong with me (tumor, cancer, etc...) I also had these syptoms:

severe pain on the left side of my back below my ribcage
tender stomach with everything I ate
abdominal cramps
headaches
blurry vision
constant need to urinate, with slight occasional burning
shakiness
lightheadedness
extreme night sweats (had to change clothes once or twice)
muscle weakness
earaches
tight chest
when breathing it felt like I was in the cold and had to cough
mood swings, feeling in a numb state of mind with a low sex drive then switching to being very hyper with a high sex drive
the list goes on....

I went of Yasmin January 21st and so far things are good, I have a mild headache in the mornings but after working out it goes away, I get little dizzy spells once and a while, and really short panic attacks like I am forgetting to do something. Overall everything seems to be going back to normal. I'm going to the gyno tomorrow to see what other options I have for BC. I may just have to stick with the rubbers!

Hi Sherry!!

No, the weight gain didn't ease up at all..... And I feel your pain, too!! I've been controlling my weight now for about 2 months (I therefore even bought a new digital scale which also shows the body fat you have...) and the weight even went up another 2 pounds since starts October without eating cakes and chocolate or anything else like that.... But at the moment it seems to have stopped (it didn't move for about 2 weeks now!). And believe me: I HOPE SO!!!

I'm totally caring about healthy food with less calories and how much I eat. Excercising for me is still not really possible because of the some days still upcoming muscle weakness I had been suffering from since december 2004. And even if it is not as bad as it was, I'm not able to workout or go for a walk longer than about 10 minutes a day... I hope this will get better soon (well, it already has gotten better, a few months ago I wasn't able to walk even that 10 minutes!!)....

It's so depressing to look into the mirror, see how fat you have become and not be able to do anything against it... :(

Well, in that times I try myself to remember, that it still needs time and someday everything will be ok. That's the only thing that keeps me up a little...

The next tour with my band (February 2006) I've already canceled (the second band-tour within 13 years which I'm not able to join and everything just because of this wonder drug from hell....), because I don't think that until February I will be fit enough to handle that stress and I don't feel that I will look like the old "silke" until then... I can't go on stage at all in such a shape... I would be ashamed to dead...

It's all so sad, but I have to be thankful to be still alive after all that I went through the last year...

How are you doing Sherry?? Has anything helped, yet? How about the water pills??

Best wishes and god's bless to you out there!!
Silke

Hi,
I was on Yasmin for three months but stopped taking it just over a month ago after looking at the postings on this website. I'd previously tried Alesse and Marvelon but had to switch because of breakthrough bleeding. Yasmin solved the breakthrough bleeding problem but caused the following symptoms that I hadn't had with the other two pills: headaches, vaginal dryness (to the point where it became difficult to have sex), dry skin and hair, constant thirst, frequent urination, muscle weakness, and NO sex drive. I didn't have the more serious symptoms that many of you report (heart palpitations, depression, panic attacks), but I was alarmed to read that many of you didn't start to experience these side-effects until you'd been on Yasmin for over a year. Did Berlex's clinical studies actually go on for long enough that they could tell what the long-term side-effects of this pill were (e.g. what does the change in blood potassium levels do to you over the long term?)? Doubt it. Anyway, I think Yasmin is probably great for breakthrough bleeding... but that's the only good thing I have to say about it. By the way, I feel pretty much back to normal now
(a month and a bit after I stopped taking it) so I guess the side-effects don't always persist.
Wishing you all the best of luck in recovering from Yasmin. If anyone knows of a pill that's good for cycle control but won't completely f*** up your body, please let me know!!!

I am so frustrated and yet releived at the same time. I am a 25 yr old mother of two beautiful children. I started taking Yasmin right after my daughter was born and have been on it for over two years now. In January, I started having a lot of the symptoms described here: Panic attacks, dizziness, vision problems, anxiety, headaches, chest pain, muscle weakness (my legs feel like slabs of meat), spotting between periods,etc... I loved the Yasmin at first. I had no problems AT ALL until a few months ago.
I thought I was going crazy. I have been doing a lot of research online trying to find out if maybe I had a hormone imbalance or if I was just doomed to suffer in silence for the rest of my life. I had been in the ER three times thinking my life was in serious danger during one of the horrendous panic attacks. Every doctor I have seen has wanted to put me on anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax.
A big thank you to whoever started this site! I am going to throw this pack of pills away today and stop taking Yasmin forever! I cannot believe something like this would be marketed to women. I just wonder how many others out there are suffering and still do not know that it's the Yasmin. Thanks a million times! What a relief!