Yasmin and nuvaring

Hi ladies,

I'm a 20 year old girl and I've been on Yasmin for just over a year now and it has hands down been the WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE. I started taking it for extreme menstrual cramps that would leave me screaming on the kitchen floor, curled up in a ball begging for the pain to stop. Yasmin fixed that, trust me it was like a miracle, and my acne on my face and back cleared up, another miracle.

Now the bad stuff. The first month was okay, because sometimes it takes time for the hormones to take affect. But I became severely depressed thereafter. It just started happening, crying all the time, hopeless, binge eating, gaining a lot of weight. And on top of that the GI problems, my stomach literally ballooned out to the size of a watermelon, and everything I ate irritated me. But a few months ago I became bulimic in a drastic attempt to get control back of my life, I hadn't even thought of the pill as the culprit up until this point. Keep in mind that I'm young, fit, have a great family, in school, there's no reason for my to be falling so low.
I started seeing a therapist, then a psychiatrist. I was this close to being put on antidepressants. And then something happened, my years worth prescription of Yasmin ran out so my OBGYN told the pharmacy to refill my prescription but with the generic brand, Ocella, that they had available which would only cost me 10 dollars a month with health insurance. Within four days I felt like my old self. Happy. I couldn't believe it. I went to a physician for tests and everything seemed normal, but after explaining to her my severe stomach problems she told me that it seemed like the pill induced me to become lactose intolerant. Wonderful!
So I started the second pack of Ocella a week ago and it all started happening again. The first month was fine again, but my body had caught up by now and even though I've cut dairy out, my stomach has ballooned up again and I have heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat. Yesterday I felt insanely depressed, I binged, became insanely nauseous and threw up. I didn't leave the couch once. Now I know that it may sound like I need to reevaluate my problems, but I promise you, THIS IS NOT ME. I've realized that Ocella is exactly what it is, the generic version, and hence chemically the same as Yasmin, so the effects will mirror Yasmin's. MY OBGYN told me to finish the pack, and then I can come off them, and I cannot begin to explain how excited I am. I'm done with pills, and I'll find another way to deal with the pain.

Please, if you're taking birth control for something like acne, reconsider, it's not worth it. We are the experimental age. We can't ask our grandmothers what the long terms affects are. But if you must be on it and are feeling badly in any way, switch! You might find something better for you.

I've been on Yasmin for almost 3 years and have had no bad experiences except for a little constipation that cannot be cured by an apple a day. Prior to yasmin I tried Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Ortho-Low which both made me gain weight and become moody. I also tried the patch that made me gain a lot more weight and become extremely moody! tried the NuvaRing, and they you cannot feel it but I could and also felt really moody on it but couldn't tell with the weight since I had gained so much on the other stuff. My friend recommended Yasmin to me and since then I have loved it. You can't be on oral contraceptives and live a lazy lifestyle. You've got to be healthy and active. Exercise increases positive endorphines that will help you keep a healthy mood. When I went on Yasmin I lost 40 pounds of the weight that I gained from the other stuff. In addition some little acne I had cleared up. I have not experienced moodiness on Yasmin but again I eat healthy and exercise A LOT which I think helps tremendously.

My doctor did have me try taking "yaz" for 2 months and please DO NOT confuse the two. Yaz was completely horrible for me and my period became wacky. My OB explained that all women have hormonal changes throughout their whole life and that Yasmin may not be right for me forever but right now it seems to be the best choice. She said all women are different and some may experience it horribly.

So those of you reading all the negative posts below - please do not be scared of by it because you do not know what is good for your body by the basis of someone else experience.

If you do research on Yasmin as with any other drug you can see that there are something that you need to consider when deciding to go on this drug. Yasmin is also different because it uses potassium.

I just started taking Yasmin last Week, so April 23rd and am already experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. I am having trouble sleeping and my boyfriend and I have started fighting which is a rare thing. I stopped taking it as of today and hope that it works as i cannot imaging feeling like this for long.

My doctor put me on continuous birth control hormones to help alleviate the severe cramps associated with endometriosis. I tried NuvaRing first, but went off because of vaginal/vulvar burning. I switched to Yasmin a few weeks ago. My breasts hurt nonstop for the first packet, but cleared up after that. I noticed I was feeling depressed a lot. My period decided to start before I even finished the active pills in the first pack. My sex drive dropped to zero. I became very irritable, like having constant PMS. I started noticing blurred vision/feeling like a blackout was coming on when I was climbing stairs. I started getting winded just climbing stairs. My energy fell through the floor. I continue to struggle with mild depression. The vaginal burning continues; intercourse is too painful--I suspect it may be linked to the hormones and not the NuvaRing. Honestly, NuvaRing had much fewer side effects for me than Yasmin. I'm not sure what to do next except get off the Yasmin.

I have been on Yasmin for a week now and I can definitely see the changes. Mostly in my mood, I am usually a pretty laid-back, happy person and with this pill I have been short-tempered and super tired. I also have been having random, intense headaches and I usually never have an issue with headaches. I was using NuvaRing before and it was fabulous (so easy and the only possible side effect I had was a week of gastroenteritis, but that could have been from a meal I ate). I switched to Yasmin to clear up my skin, but I have not really noticed a positive or negative in that respect. I've stopped taking Yasmin and I am going back to NuvaRing!

i am on my last pack of pills for yasmin. my gyn put me on loestrin starting next month. i hope i have a better experience with that than yasmin. at first i didnt notice any side effects at all. then within the past couple of months (ive been on yasmin for about 6 months) i have noticed so many problems.
i am prone to migraines, but i am getting migraines at least twice a week which has severely effected my work and school life.
i had an ear infection.
ive gained close to 20 lbs (!!!!!) when in the past few months my lifestyle has been healthier and more active than it was when i started this pill. it just doesnt make sense to gain so much when i have improved my lifestyle..
i find i am moody and depressed, if something bad happens, even if its something little, i either get so uncontrollably angry or sad and i cry all the time. im not normally this emotional, ive even cried at work. its so embarrassing.
ive also noticed that after any meal i feel like i am extremely bloated and my stomach starts hurting. it doesnt matter what kind of food, it could be healthy, greasy, veggies, or cereal..no matter what my stomach always hurts to much afterwards.
i am also getting night sweats and horrible back pain, especially when i go to bed.
i am gassy, and my cramps last for my whole period. none of those things ever happened before i was on this pill.
my libido went down, however i think this is due to the weight gain. i have never felt so disgusting in my whole life.
i have gone through many pills, and the nuvaring as well. none of them have had side effects on me as yasmin.
does anyone have any suggestions for other pills for me to try? i am willing to give loestrin a chance, especially because it is a lo dose pill..and i know that everyones bodies are different. i just feel so lost..i hope this new pill works out better.

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!

I took Yasmin for about 2 years. When I first started taking it I noticed that if I took it at night, like, any time ater about 6, I'd have awful nausea the following morning, and usually end up vomiting. In fact, even if I took it before a nap I'd wake up and feel sick. I figured if I just avoided taking it before I slept I'd be in the clear. I started taking them in the morning and I noticed that about noon time I'd get headaches and I'd feel nauseous. Within the last 3 weeks (it could be the summer heat, but I'm almost positive it's the Yasmin) no matter when I take it I feel awful. Nausea, headache, fever, and consistent vomiting. I finally could not take feeling so sick anymore and today I went to my gyno and she suggested that I take the NuvaRing, because it's not something you ingest, which could prevent the nausea I had with Yasmin.

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'm 32 years old with a 5 & a 6yr old. I was on Yasmin for 7mnths, four yrs ago. I lost down to 102 (I'm usually 115). It gave me constant stomach upset, everything I ate went right through me and the only week I wasn't bleeding was the week I should have been. I was put on Nuvaring, and have been on it for nearly four years. The first three went well, but then I began to spot in between periods and my migraines (which I had before either BC) have become out of control. I'm sick and dizzy all the time. After going to the OBGYN and discovering three ovarian cyst, I'm being put back on Yasmin. I can handle the stomach upset, but I am praying it helps the headache and irregular bleeding. Wish me luck.

So I'll refer to today as Hell Day, the day when all the horrible symptoms of my birth control pill attack me at once and I literally cannot take it. I had this exact same thing happen when I was on the nuvaring, and I stopped it immediately. I'm willing to sacrifice having 100% safe sex if it means I don't have to feel like I'd rather shove a knife through my brain than exist. It's only my second month of Yasmin, and I'm feeling more fatigued than ever before in my life. I feel so horribly depressed. It's beautiful outside and I was lying on the grass, thinking only about being DEAD. I'm not one to be depressed. The only other time I've felt this awful was my third month into the Nuvaring. I specifically asked my doctor for something that wouldn't make me depressed, nor gain weight. Well, I gained about 5 pounds that won't come off no matter how hard I try, and the depression is just getting worse and worse. I'm stopping this pill tomorrow.

Other symptoms included:
*Initially: a sharp breathing pain under my left lung
*Weird, small rash on my leg
*Would rather be in bed than do anything
*Overwhelming feeling of loneliness, questioning self-worth, etc.

hum... i'm sorry to read all these messages...
i hope all of you are feeling better in a near future, if you're not already!

someone there asked if there's anything good to take...
i actually ended up on this page because i was considering taking yasmin.
i'm from brazil, i used to take another pill before, called diane
it really made my skin look good

then i switched to nuvaring
i've been using nuvaring for a long time, 3 or 4 years, can't remember
since they first started to sell it
it's pretty good
i never had any problems

but i do get some acne eventually, and then i thought about looking for a pill like the one i used before
but apparently it may not a good idea to quit something that works great

i hope this helps, at least as a different suggestion

good luck :)

Okay. So I was on Depo Provera for 4 cycles a few years ago....and hated it. So, I went off of birth control for about a year. My doctor put me on yasmin about 2 years ago. I had no problems at first, but for the past 5 months I have been having abnormal hair loss, weight gain, mild depression/mood swings, and I am easily aggravated. I don't understand this, but it sounds like others are experiencing similar side effects. I tried NuvaRing, but only for one cycle. I didn't like too much. Are there any BCP's that anyone knows about that don't have these side effects? I've tried Ortho-Tri, Ovcon, Triphasil, and now Yasmin...thanks to whomever started this side effect posting.

I am glad I found this site. I recently started taking Yasmin, I am 22 years old and it is my first experience with oral contraceptives. Anyway, the first month was fine, except that my flow was unusually heavy (we're talking super+ tampon & Heavy pad were necessary for the first 2 days), which is unusual for me since I've never bought anything stronger than regular.
About midway through the second month, I became depressed, gained 15 pounds, and was crying every day over little things. I know I've been under stress, but I am always stressed, and this was not a usual reaction for me. The only thing I could think of was mabye it was the Yasmin, but my healthcare provider assured me that this was not one of the side effects. I came across this site and decided that I needed to get off this stuff. Especially when I would be on the verge of tears all day long, and was missing classes because all I could do was hide under the covers crying.
Finally I quit Yasmin and demanded to be put on something different. I am not too familiar with any other BCPs, and I was warry of trying them. So I was given NuvaRing to try. So far....I am symptom free. I am hoping that this will help other women who feel as if they are "going nutz" and don't understand why, as I had felt. Even if your healthcare provider denies this side effect demand to be given an alternative. I have never felt as horrible as I did with yasmin.

After the nightmare that I experienced on Yasmin I swore off birth control all together. Today, however my doctor convinced me to try Nuvaring. I am terrifiyed that I will have the same problems. I'm wondering if I should take it out tonight or not.

Has anyone tryed Nuvaring after having problems on Yasmin and had any luck with it?

After the nightmare that I experienced on Yasmin I swore off birth control all together. Today, however my doctor convinced me to try Nuvaring. I am terrifiyed that I will have the same problems. I'm wondering if I should take it out tonight or not.

Has anyone tryed Nuvaring after having problems on Yasmin and had any luck with it?Yasmin I swore off

How BCP affect your blood pressure: I have NOT encountered a single one that does not warn about raising your blood pressure. That's why BCP's are not recommended to women with high bp to begin with.

Mircette (and Kariva) I have not tried personally, but a close friend has been taking it for a while. She hasn't had any problems besides heart palpitations, but not sure if the pill caused it or not. She's now switching to Nuvaring (less hassle, and I highly recommended it, as well as a gyno friend she has).

Nuvaring-I am on the second cycle. I never ever think about it, except when I have to insert and remove it, and they have a convenient computer program you can download to remind you, as well as a tiny timer you can carry around in your purse (can get it for free from their website). No headaches, no nightmares, no panic attacks. In fact, I don't even notice I'm on birth control, it's great.

Hi ladies--just an update:
after I stopped taking Yasmin, I went without any pills for a month and steadily got better. I only had a migraine once after the initial two week withdrawal. After one month, I stared Nuvaring (today, I started month 2 on it). I have not had any anxiety or panic attacks for over a month. I do feel my heart racing every once in a while still, but I think that if I managed to cut down the caffeine, those will stop as well. My BP went down significantly within a month after going off Yasmin.

I still feel fatigued, but I think now it's just my hectic schedule. I have no trouble falling asleep anymore (I would lay in bed for hours while on the pill). I feel EXTREME thirst sometimes since goinf off, like one other person posted. I can chug a half-gallon and still be thirsty, but that is gradually getting better.

To answer the question about detoxing--I went through a two-week detox after stopping Yasmin, with vitamin and herbal supplements, an immense amount of water and teas, no caffeine, no meat, etc. It helped me tremendously and it accelerated my getting better, I strongly recommend it.

Good luck to you all.

i'm going on nuvaring next month, i'll let you know how that goes. i didn't mean to dismiss the importance of everyone being different, sorry if it came out that way.
for myself, i feel that i need to be strong and help myself get better, not just whine about how terrible i feel, which i do. that's just me. for the first time in months i feel like i'm not 'drugged' and i'm going to take full advantage of that.

I was on Novinette (Europe, don't know if it's sold here in the U.S.) before Yasmin and didn't really ahve any side effects besides severe bloating which made me feel awful.
Before that I tries Logest (EU again, don't know about U.S.), which I stopped after a week because I could not eat ANYTHING besides citrus fruits.
I never had the chest pain or anxiety before Yasmin.

I really want to try Nuvaring... has anyone else had any luck with it?

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!

Sorry for the repeat post, but I never got an answer--I just stopped taking Yasmin and after a week and a half today I am having chest pain and can't take a full breath. I only took it for four months, how long will it take for all this to go away?

HAS ANYONE FOUND A BETTER REPLACEMENT? I still need to think about birth control... Has anyone tried the Nuvaring?

Thanks everyone, this board has been very helpful to me.

@guest 13099:

I completely agree with sherry!!

Perhaps it might help you a little bit to read my post Nr. 12857 (page 4 or 5 on this site) where I had written my and my family doctor's theory about this extreme weight gain after getting off this horrible pill.

A few days ago I got even water in my feet (they looked like they were completely pumped up with water and even poured out of my shoes, I was so shocked!!!) which I never had before in my life!!!

Yesterday I found a website where the effects of diuretics were reported (Yasmin, or better the drospirenone in it is very similar to a diuretic named "spirolacton"!!! and so this pill diswaters your body the whole time while taking it!!!). It was very interesting to read, that if you get off such water pills your body may retain the more water than before taking the water pills. So it's pretty normal how some of us are "bloating up" I fear... :-(

I just hope (and my family doctor also thinks so!), that if I give my body enough time to recover, all this water and bloatedness will go away by itself when everything in my body is working normal again.

So there is hope for all of us but we need much more time and patience!!

I just switched from Nuvaring to Yasmin last month. I completely messed up because I was supposed to start Yasmin on the Sunday after my period. I didn't have the prescription yet so I had to start it on the following Friday. I got my period on July 30th 2005, started Yasmin on August 5th and have been so sick!!!!! Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, just sick as hell! Every morning. I'm at work, just sick, nauseous, headache.....I took a pregnancy test. It came out negative. I called my doctor's office because I have never had side effects of birth control before! They told me my body is adjusting. I know my body and know that this is not what is going on. Being this sick for two weeks is unbearable. I work full-time and go to grad school full-time. What do I do?!!!!!!!

Hi ladies. I've never posted here but have been reading this site since early July. I was on Yasmin for 9 months and about 2 months into it, started getting chest pains, heart palpitations, panic attacks, headaches, blurred vision, IBS-like issues... bascially all the same things you've all reported. Doctors dismissed it as stress, and I felt like I was going crazy. I am SO thankful to have found this site, and I stopped taking this junk that night. My sympotms got better, but I still had the heart palps and panic/anxiety some, though not as much. I got my period last week, and the time right around the start of my period was awful-- all the old symptoms came back with a vengeance, but only stayed about 3 days. I think some of you repored the same thing happening around your periods??

So here's my question: Those of you who have gone off Yasmin and are recovering, have you started using anything else? I'm recently married and even though I have no sex drive thanks to Yasmin, I need something. I started NuvaRing Sunday since I got a period last week, and I'm feeling some of the old symptoms coming back, namely heart palps and anxiety. I'm just wondering how flushing the Yasmin out will be affected by starting a new bc method??

Thanks so much for your posts and good luck to everyone!

Hi everyone!
Well, I wrote in at the end of May talking about my horrible gas. I've now been off of Yasmin since May 27th, and my gas has totally gone away. Better yet, I started NUVARING! Yall have got to try this! It's awesome. NO SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL yet. It has 1/4 the hormones of the pill, and in case anyone is wondering... neither you nor your partner will feel it during sex. I just wanted to let yall know this incase anyone else is/was looking for an alternative to Yasmin, which I think most of us are. So, if anyone else tries "the ring" and likes it, please let me know because I am quite pleasantly surprised. Anyway, I had also had severe mood changes and they too have gone away. I think I may have finally found a miracle birth control method.
GO NUVARING!

OK, first off I wanta say that(please don't get mad at me)when my sister in law told me about this website and the things you guys had said about Yasmin I was like "are they crazy?". Well I see now I was. I thought Yasmin was wonderful, I've lost weight and everything, well after reading what many of you wrote I see now my other problems are from Yasmin. Shortly after starting Yasmin I started taking Serafem for extreme moodiness, didn't link the two together. Then I have 0 and I mean 0 sex drive, I've started eating uncontrollably in the past 2 weeks(I've been on Yasmin for 7 months by the way)and the other day I was talking to my husband when all of a sudden I had what felt like an earth quake in my head! My vision shook and I was dizzy and had a horrific headache(which I most of the time have). It wasn't till I found this site that I realize that was a very serious side affect. It could have been a stroke-like side affect. I've been dizzy for quite some time. I also already a heart condition that causes a fast heartbeat so I definately don't need any help in that area. I'm so glad I found this site. I started my first Nuvaring today so I'm looking up. I really would like to report this drug. Good luck to you all!
C.

Thank goodness I found this website!
I have been on Yasmin for almost 3 years now and within the past year and a half I have noticed an extreme difference in my personality. Small things at first, but now things that have gotten so bad they are effecting my work, social life and relationship with my boyfriend.

I have struggled with depression before so when I started to feel sad and unmotivated again I attributed it to that. When I started to have stomach issues, I was told it was IBS (for 22 yrs never had anything wrong with my stomach, mind you). When I gained weight, I figured I wasn't exercising enough. When I started having feelings of anxiety and I started to seclude myself from social and work situations, I went and saw a doctor and was diagnosed with anxiety. And when I noticed I had NO sex drive whatsoever (I'm 25 and that has never been a problem) I went to my gyno who simply said " Well it can't be the birth control, it must be your antidepressant...let's switch that" So we did...it didn't help. I stoppped taking the antidepressant and I still have no libido.

Now that I look back I feel stupid for not putting two and two together but I never would have thought it. All I have ever heard was how "Yasmin was the wonder birth control that had no side-effects"...I'm calling BS on that.

I did call my doctor and ask to switch. When I explained to her why I wanted to she said " Well we never have any complaints with Yasmin" (think I need a new dr?) Anyway, she switched me to Mircette which I am a little unsure of but hey for right now, anything other than Yasmin will do.

My question is...Is there any form of safe birth control that won't have such horrible side-effects? Anyone switched to something they like? Maybe Nuvaring?

In the meantime...I am so glad I'm off....

I gave Yasmin two months. My endocrinologist recommended it since it usually doesn't interfere with medication. My gyni said it was the most popular birth control. I have to say I am so glad to have found this board. Certainly, every woman is different but it is great to have unbiased info out there.

The first week was great then I started having to get up to pee (that the diuretic effect). Then I felt fatigued sort of like I was getting the flu. Then came the intense hunger. Having hypothyroid, I usually have a low appetitie. I actually liked this side effect. I never ate more in my life! I didn't gain weight. I liked not being bloated but what I didn't like was the low grade headaches, spaciness/forgetfullness, acne, fatigue, low libido and then later chest pains and heart palpitations.

Now I am trying the NuvaRing. Ortho tri cyclen as well as OTC lo did not agree with me. I had mood swings, contact lense trouble and headaches. If NuvaRing doesn't work then I am getting and IUD.

Thanks ladies for your input.

Switched to Yasmin after having terrible moodswings/depression from the nuvaring. For the first couple weeks my mood seemed to calm down a bit, but I had awful headaches and nausea. Right now, I'm on the placebo week and my mood have gone all crazy again, definitely worse than anything I experienced on the ring. Last night, my libido skyrocketed. I haven't felt that randy since I first hit puberty. So what did I do about it? I promptly came online and spazzed at my boyfriend for not having sex with me while I'm on my period. This is irrational. It's not who I am. Will call my doctor soon and ask to switch brands (again).