Yasmin and natural hormones

I am about to start Yasmin. I'm a little scared after having read all of this, but talking with my doctor today encouraged me greatly. I have been on two other kinds of birth control (Sprintec and the NuvaRing). Both gave me such terrible side affects that I have had to quit them. I have always been an extremely healthy person and I've never been an emotional person either (Im very even tempered normally). But since I've been on both of these, I've felt like I was going to pass out, been so tired but unable to sleep, nauseous, massive headaches, changes in every part of my body (dryness - everywhere - itchiness, hair growth changes, dropping sex drive, skin break outs, shortness of breath, heavy periods, extreme cramps and abdominal pains, muscle soreness and random shooting pains.) it has been terrible and my husband (while he's been an angel) is about as exhausted as I am. My emotions are across the board...I have cried several times a day and been angry and moody just as often.

My doctor told me today that my specific set of hormones may not be a fit for any type of birth control. He said there is a small percentage of women who are like this - our hormones will reject anything that messes with them. He suggested that I try Yasmin, because the hormones are supposedly more natural. He said they should match up with my natural hormones better so my body won't reject it and cause all those nasty side effects. He saidnif this one doesn't work, he's going to fit me for a diaphragm.

Did anybody else's doctor tell them something similar before they started this one? How has it gone?

I've been on Yasmin for three years and the only real side effect I had was a worsening of my IBS and wheat intolerance. I was really happy with it until recently when I've started becoming moody and getting the monthly pains back. My IBS also got a lot worse lately too and I've put on weight without a change in diet. I think that it could possibly be that my natural hormones have changed so it doesn't interact that well anymore. Two of my friends have pretty much the same issue.
I don't think that Yasmin should be taken off the market as I'm sure it's still helping a lot of people. I have friends who are still very happy on Yasmin. I think these side effects are just like any medication, it works for some but not for others.
I'm now off the pill and I'm just gonna wait and see what happens. If my symptoms get better then at least I know its nothing more serious, if not then Yasmin was not to blame

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

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

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 foggyhead,
i always get nausea a couple of days before my period, the only thing i can compare it to is morning sickness,that is exactly how it felt when i was pregnant with my 2 daughters,i found it a bit alarming at first as i thought on no,don't say i've fallen pregnant on top of everything else! i have been off yasmin for coming on 9 months now and have had the sickness pretty much every period for the last 7 months. i am not sure if it is to do with our progesterone levels being out of whack,when you are pregnant the progesterone levels rise to keep the pregnancy and can cause some women to have nausea,i wonder if it this same mechanism that causes some women to have pre/post menstrual sickness???? like everything else to do with yasmin it is a mystery but it is not harmful just annoying.try some ginger in warm water or a peice of toast.that always helps me. hope you start to feel better soon,i think the length of time you suffer the side effects depends partly on how long you were on yasmin and also how badly it depleted your natural hormones and also how you care for yourself after stopping taking yasmin. i was on it for 1.5 years and was in a pretty bad hormonal state when i started taking yasmin as i had just finished breast feeding my daughter after a year and had not had a period when i was put on yasmin. i don't expect my recovery to be overnight but i know it will happen,have faith in your body,it may take it a while to repair the upset the yasmin caused but it will get there eventually.

sarah

Kim,
I know it is scary. I was on a different bcp before yasmin for 12 plus years and went through 2 pregnancies and NEVER have I ever felt anything this scary or nerve wracking before in my life! I know 3 weeks is not very long, but it is long enough for that stupid drug to wreak havoc. I started to feel the effects about 5 weeks of being on it, and could not figure out what was going on. It took me till month 3 to realize it was the yasmin. Yes I know about the anxiety, and I could not look in a mirror either, even though my family kept telling me I looked the same, I didnt. I lost fat in my cheeks and jaw area and my skin went from oily to dry. I felt like it drained the "life" out of my face. But it has gotten better, it takes several months for your body to balance your hormones again. Have you ever been on bcp before?
I can tell you what I think is going on. I think yasmin suppresses your testosterone and progesterone (the androgen hormones in your body) As testosterone falls or remains low I feel it causes a lot of anxiety in the body because these are the hormones that are responsible for overall sense of wellbeing, energy, muscle repair, the list goes on and on. If you want a good website to read up on these hormones, salivatest.com has good info under hormones 101, they also do saliva testing on this website which I have been doing every month since 3 months after I quit yasmin, and I have seen how out of whack my hormones are and how long it has taken to even get back to a near normal range, and it takes a while. Keep in mind though you are already almost 1 and 1 1/2 months into being off yasmin, the turn around time to when you start to feel better more days than bad is usually at 2-3 months. Remember you are not alone. The yasmin bottomed out your natural hormones to replace them with synthetic hormones and now that the synthetic hormones have stopped it is trying to replace all those "receptor sites" back with your natural hormones and that is pretty much why you are not feeling so good.
Try to eat organic (no pesticides, hormones)
Stay away from caffeine, lots of water
Take vitamins, B complex vitamins worked well for me
Rest and dont try to exercise too vigorously.
Take care and keep in touch. There are lots of caring women on this site.
Bitter RN

Dear kim and dejay,

your posts nearly bring me to tears, because you exactly tell my story from about 1,5 years ago!!

I know it's hard to believe while you're still in it, but: IT WILL GET BETTER!! You will be your old self someday, but you'll need lots of patience and endurance and the support of your family or husband or anyone around you!!

I know exactly EVERY symptom you both have mentioned!! And I remember me sitting in there and thinking "I never will be better again, this is how it will stay the rest of my life, I'm done!" and today I'm BACK!!

It can last a few weeks or months but I swear someday you'll think "oh, today I think I'm doing a bit better finally", that's how it happened to me!! It will be only little steps every day or week or month, but you'll get through this!!!

Remember that the pill is affecting your natural hormones completely and brings them out of whack. Now, after getting off that horrible pill, it will take some time for your body to learn how to produce hormones by itself again!! It's definitely not only a flu or a simple cold we're all going through, it's something more serious, but nothing letal and nothing, that will last forever!!

On top the Yasmin is lacking your body of very important electrolytes and vitamines and so on, because of the diuretic effect!! So, as flowerbabies already told you, please make sure to take some good supplements (most important seem to be magnesium, zinc and b-vitamines, because they are absolutely essential for nerves and muscles!!).

Another thing that might be possible (also because of the diuretic effect of Yasmin): Please ask your doctor for a blood work about your iron levels!! The monthly period (which, I guess, came really regular during Yasmin) AND the diswatering effect of Yasmin can also lack your body of that important substance.

For the very hard times another thing that might help to calm down a bit: VALERIAN. It's a natural medication which doesn't make you addictet and in my very hard times it was always a good thing to help me through!!

But DEJAY: Don't feel weak because you couldn't get through without antidepressants!! I swear there were times, where I thought "Please give me ANYTHING, I will take it, I can no longer stand this agony!" and today I still don't really know, how I got through without that stuff!! So please take something, if it might help you through the very hard times and someday you'll be able to get off it again!! I swear!

Ok, sorry, I'll try not to write a book again. But I really hope I could help somehow.

And please: If you feel bad and hopeless come around here and I swear you'll always find someone to support you (which I know sometimes is the only thing that helps not to give up completely!!).

But always remember: I's NOT YOU!! It's the Yasmin and someday you'll be better again.

Big hugs to you both and every other poor victim of that horrible drug and stay strong! You'll get through this!!

Best wishes and god's bless
Silke

hi guest 31105.
sorry to hear that your daughter is really struggling with the post yasmin effects. i have been off yasmin for nearly 6 months now. i still have a flare up of anxiety around my ovulation/period. i do sometimes have anxiety while on my period. i think what is happening to your daughter is more than likely a hormonal imbalance.the hormones in bcp's are much stronger than our natural hormones so the effects of imbalance are much more drastic then they would be in normal pms or even premenapause. high levels of anxiety are caused by either high levels of estrogen and low progesterone or it could be that both estrogen and progesterone are both low but the estrogen is not being opposed. depression has been linked to higher levels of progesterone so my theory is that some of the stronger synthetic hormones are still stored inside the cells that would be filled with our own natural weaker hormones so each month when our bodies go through their natural cycle the cells are releasing the stored synthetic hormones causing a surge and overwhelming our bodies and causing a chemical form of pmdd.it is all very complicated,i have read and read anything i could get my hands on that might be able to help control my symptoms but i have decided that for me the best route is to eat healthy organic foods,take vitamin supplements,drink plenty of water,think positively and excercise.i also have to keep reminding myself that my body will heal itself given time. ther are little things you can do along the way that may help lessen the symptoms but i have not found anything that has cured them completely. cut out tea and coffee and drink herbal teas geared at cleansing the liver etc (milk thistle) avoid alchohol and high sugar foods.keep blood sugar levels steady by eating little and often. i am really sorry that your daughter has had to suffer this way,it really does have a huge impact on the whole family. i am a mother with 2 girls.my eldest is just 7 and she witnessed me go from being a happy loving mother to someone who could not leave the house and was always scared and angry,i knew i had to get better before i destroyed us all,my 1st step was stopping taking yasmin. i never tried the anti depressant route as i was afraid i would not be able to function properly and also i was done putting chemical into my body. i also considered that maybe i was bipolar but having read up on it none of it sounded like me before yasmin, i do not have manic phases,i am "normal" like the old me for a few weeks then the anxiety creeps in and knocks me back (although not as badly as on the yasmin and i now know it will pass) i think that's why we consider the bipolar as a posibility because we go from happy to sad in the space of a few days. i am sure that given a bit more time your daughter will start to improve,good luck with the antidepressants,i hear they can be useful and maybe with their support and yours your daughter will be able to recover fully and put this nightmare behind her.

brittkat,
i had the dizziness for quite a while when i was on yasmin,sometimes it would last for hours at a time for days on end,i thought i had an inner ear infection but it was ruled out by my doctor. i have been off yasmin for 3 months now and my symptoms have pretty much all subsided and improved dramatically. once your natural hormones get back into rhythm things should improve. i still get a bit dizzy and anxious when i am ovulating but even that is getting better and better with each cycle. i have no idea how long it will take to get back to "normal" but it is a good idea to take a good b complex,b6 and magnesium supplement to support your body while it is getting back into it's own rhythm. i am sure i am now suffering from estrogen dominance but not as severely as when i was taking yasmin,dizziness is a symptom of this condition along with many of the other symptoms suffered by a lot of women on yasmin. i am beginning to think that if you already have an underlying problem with low progesterone levels when you start on yasmin it will make it much much worse. it may be worth getting your medical provider to check your progesterone levels. (and your ears just in case you have an underlying ear problem that is causing the dizziness but i suspect it will not be the case.
i hope that is of some help to you,have faith in the knowledge that it will get better.

Hi everyone. Well first off, I have been on Yasmin for about a week now. And I don't feel bad at all. When I was seventeen my gyno recomended that I go on the pill. My mother was not thrilled about that one (old fashioned), so I waited until I was eighteen. After looking over many options, because I do not need it as a contraceptive, I decided to let the doctor use his best judgement. I took two pills in one day in order to make my cycle go every fourth Sunday.
So far I feel fine. My appetite has dwindled down to nothing, and because I work full time, those cravings have subsided so much that I lost three pounds in two days. One thing that I encourage women to remember is that the pill is meant to fool your body into believing it is pregnant. Because of the "pregnancy mode," your ovaries will not release any eggs. This is very important because the whole morning sickness bit, and the cravings, and the decreased sex drive, and the dryness are all symptoms of pregnancy. Every woman's body is different, and some woman during pregnancy do feel numb emotionally and physically. So the pill basically is doing just that, making you feel pregnant.
A woman's body produces natural hormones called estrogen and progesterone. However, the bosy does not produce these hormones in consistant amounts, hence we get our period. Because of these fluctuations, eggs are releases, our breasts are occasionally tender, a pimple will pop up here and there, and we get a bit moody. The pill maintains these hormones at a constant level so hopefully this symptoms subside a bit. The week that you are on the white pills is basically just your body's natural chemistry taking over. So of course that week you would feel very normal and like your old self.
I hope that maybe this information will help some people who, by coming to this website, have become frightened. Yasmin is a pill prescribed mostly to teenage girls because the hormone progesterone used is a synthetic one and not real. This basically enables your body to safely come off the pill and go back to normal once the menstrual cycle is regulated. I have experienced minimal side effects, the ones I have noticed are the loss of appetite, and desire to drink a lot of water, which by the way is a good thing. By the way, because Yasmin is a diauretic, that means you lose water while taking it. When your body is lacking water (a good indication is if there is a hint of yellow in your urine, urine should be clear and copious), it tends to become oily. People who drink plenty of water while on this pill do lose the weight after about eight weeks and have beautiful skin. Water is an amazing thing when trying to clean up acne. Good Luck ladies, and e-mail me is you have any questions. AgapeAngel1120@aol.com