Yasmin and pharmaceutical companies

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

It is so funny to read all of the negativity but nothing positive! I came here looking for side effects and get a bashing about how horrid Yasmin/Yaz is! Let me first start off by listing my side effects that I wanted to know about:

breast tenderness
change in appetite
tiredness
red spot in eye

Next, let me tell you that I researched BEFORE taking this medicine because 1. I have MS 2. I suffer from migraines and seizures and 3. I take a whole boat load of medications! My doc recommended Yasmin for PMDD coupled with Sarafem to help my mood right before and during my time of the month. I must say that I have only been on it for about 10 days so I do not know anything of how it works with my period.

I am APPALLED at the fact that there are few, if any, positive comments about this pill! I know for a FACT that it works because I know 7 people personally that are on it that have NO PROBLEMS! So, I ask you all that have negative comments, what is wrong with you, other than you HATE the pill? What OTHER meds were you on while taking it? I read a few comments about stopping for a month and then starting again and then wondering why they felt like crap?? Well HELLO?! You are effing with your body's hormones! And there is a difference between Yaz and Yasmin hormones. If you had a bad experience with Yaz, make sure you are not confusing it with Yasmin! Yaz is a 24 day hormone pill where Yasmin is only 21 days.

I am not a doctor, but like I said, I have done my research. I have suffered with adult acne and PMDD for years. It sucks. If Yasmin helps, I want to know. I don't want to read a bunch of bull about people who mess up their cycles by taking the pill and smoking or taking the pill with meds they shouldn't be taking them with. I know what I can and cannot take. Most of what I take is natural and what is not, well, it CAN be taken with Yasmin. Like the website for Yasmin says and like most of the informational, non-biased websites say, Yasmin and Yaz is not for everyone. Some people cannot handle this type of hormone.

I can guarantee you that some doctor or pharm company can tell you that whatever symptom you are having is from something completely unrelated to the BC you are taking. Warnings are clearly marked...read them and obey!

I am 25 and have been taking Yasmin for about a year and a half. I switched to it because it would help my acne breakouts (face and chest/back),
as well as "reduce bloating" according to my doctor.
It did indeed help with helping calm down the PMS mood swings around 'that time of the month'.
However, especially in the last few months, I have noticed a very dramatic decrease in my libido and bouts of being down or 'blue' aka depression-like symptoms, as well as breast tenderness. Also strangely enough, one of the side effects listed on the info sheet claims it can cause bloating. So who do I believe? This is my point exactly...

Ladies, take 5 minutes and CAREFULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS that come inside the box of your Yasmin pills. When you do, you might be surprised by what you find, like I was.
I have been on several types of birth control since I was about 17, from Tri-cyclen, to Diane-35 and others.

What the doctors and pharmaceutical companies DON'T tell us, is that female sex hormones can cause cancer. This is literally written in the fine print on the info you get with your pills. It's there you just have to look for it.
Think about it... these companies get paid masses of money to keep you ignorant and thinking that there is little to no risk of taking birth control pills. They won't get paid if millions of women stop taking their doses.

Even my mom, who was taking hormones to balance out her menopausal issues, has a increased risk of cancer now due to taking hormones.

Just research it a little bit, google it and you will see.
Birth control pills can have permanent effects, and even temporary effects that cause you to feel miserable.
This is your life, your health, and we have to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies!!!!!!
Is gaining 5 lbs or having a few pimples really worth the risk of depression and the possibility of cancer??

I am not extremest, that is, I am not saying that no females should take birthcontrol pills. I understand there will always be a demand.
But this forum is important because it let's us share our worries. I am worried for myself (will these hormones contribute to breast cancer issues later in life?), and I am worried for all the girls out there who want the benefits of a pill (clear skin, regular periods) don't know that the side effects can be life threatening.

Educate yourself!! , don't believe everything the drug companies tell you, and what the doctors DO NOT tell you.
Remember, YOU are the only expert on YOU!

When a class action lawsuit is filed, let me know....this drug should be taken of off the market immediately. We started all of this with an OB/GYN that prescribed this “miracle pill” and now have had to go not only to our primary doctor, but also a psychiatrist, gastrenologist, college campus counselors, psychologists, psychiatrist, and the campus medical doctors; All the while, accumulating enormous doctor bills. All the doctors say, "No, Yasmin won't cause those problems" (except the college campus doctors..wonder why? Hmm.. could it be that they are not in private practice?)....well, I beg to differ. Everyone needs to give this website to their doctor so the doctors can hear from the patients that have taken this drug, and not listen to the pharmaceutical companies that are pushing this drug to be the "miracle pill". Maybe if enough people complain and go to the media, we can get rid of this drug!
My daughter who is 18 was put on Yasmin because of irregular periods, hormonal imbalance, etc. We were told it was the new “miracle pill”. It will make you loose weight, regulate your periods, clear up acne, you name it, it will fix it. Yeah, right.
She started taking this pill in March 2007. She was off at college but called to tell me she was experiencing horrible headaches, behind the eyes. She complained about her stomach hurting, but we just figured it was the stress of freshman year at college. Then she said she got where she couldn’t eat when she went to a restaurant. When she came home in May for the summer, I noticed a total personality change. For example, she was always a neat freak, and now she wouldn’t clean her room. The first day when she drove home, she started crying she was so mad about the traffic. Yes, she has always had a little road rage, but this was ridiculous.
By June, not only could she not be in crowds, like at a restaurant, but now she is having full blown panic attacks and IBS. We called the OBGYN and they said, “Yasmin won’t cause this, go see your primary doctor”. I knew that the only thing that had changed with her was taking the YASMINE. I knew it had something to do with all of this so I “Googled Yasmin” and this website (http://www.medications.com/se/yasmin) was the first one I looked at. All of her symptoms matched everyone else’s! I am so glad we found this website, it explained everything and I had her to stop Yasmin immediately.
So we went to the primary doctor, explained about the Yasmin and how we thought it was the culprit of everything. Of course this doctor also says, “Yasmin won’t cause that”. We told him to look it up on the internet and see how there are over 3000 complaints on this drug, more than any of the other drugs on the market.
Besides the emotional problems she starting having, her pulse and blood pressure was sky high, so he puts her on medicine for that, and puts her on an anxiety medicine and sends her to a psychiatrist. She is very thirsty all the time, and develops IBS. She can’t eat without having pains in her stomach. So, now we’ve have gone from having just irregular periods, to all of the above, plus a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist doubles her medicine (and puts her Pamine for the IBS) because the panic attacks are gone, but she still is having a lot of nervousness, anxiety, can’t sleep at night, crazy thoughts, worrying all the time, etc. A month later he changes her medicine again, to Effexor. The first 2 weeks, she does okay, but the packet doubles the strength after 2 weeks. It takes 4 weeks for it to take full effect. Right after she doubles this medicine, it is like her senses are on hyper-mode. She can taste everything that is in her food (chili powder, seasonings, etc…), taste the metal in water, and she can hear someone’s phone vibrating, in another room.
Then she goes back to college at the end of August 2007, and it’s horrible. The Effexor is having bad, bad side effects. We called the psychiatrist that she was using at home and he doubled the dose. That was the worse thing they could’ve done. The side effects were worse than ever. I had her to immediately go to a psychiatrist on campus. She told him the whole story and he believed her! Needless to say we switched doctors. He then lowered her dose back down to ½ a dose and hopefully can slowly get her off of all this medicine.
The newest thing she has developed is being hypoglycemic. The campus psychiatrist sent her to a campus medical doctor and he told her that they would get to the bottom of this. He tested her for everything under the sun. Low blood sugar is the only thing they found. But, she hasn’t taken the Yasmin since May. No telling what the results would have came back like if it was done at the time she was taking Yasmin.
Thank goodness she has counselors and doctors there at the campus that believes that Yasmin can cause all of these problems, and are working with her. From what I have read from the people that have used this medicine, although most doctors do not agree, Yasmin takes like 6 months to get out of your system. I think I am going to believe the testimonials of the people who take this medicine, over a doctor who prescribes it.
If everyone goes to the media, their doctors, the FDA, congressmen, and make them aware of these horrible effects, surely we can get this drug off of the market! Does anyone know a class action lawyer that would pursue this? For my child to have to go through all of this is ridiculous, not to mention costly. What do we know of the long term effects this drug will have if it is doing all of this when you first start taking it?
If you have the same concerns as me about this drug, and would be interested in looking into a class action lawsuit, please email: ****** I would be interested to see how many would want to pursue this.

When i first went on yasmin i had my period for a month!!!!!! I'm not talking a little bit of spotting i'm talking constant heavy flow for a month....It was not fun......I didn't realise it was the pill at the time, but i spoke to my cousin and she said she had the same thing.....It's made me feel tired and depressed, and i have absolutely no sex drive.....My poor boyfriend....he's so supportive....but every relationship needs intimacy........

I have gained over 5kilos since takig this which has made me quite miserable......I was already on the side of chubby now i am just plain overweight......i'm sick of these pharmaceutical companies with these new drugs promising this and that.........

the problem is without the pill i have heavy periods to the point of severe blood loss anaemia, so i guess ill have to weigh up the pros and cons.....hope everyone else out there is managing ok

I have been on Yasmine for 6 months now. I just found this site coincidentally while seeking an explanation for why did my life change? I have not taken birth control pills for years, and have decided to take Yasmin because my friend recommended it. That was the worse thing I've done for myself in years.

Today, after reading all the posts and identifying with many of the symptoms, I feel I am obliged to share my experience too.

I am a very successful realtor and my job is very demanding in activity. I was on vacation since Oct last year for 3 months until the end of the year. Oct was when I started to take Yasmin. I attributed my sudden 10 lbs gain to my vacation and indulgence, I attributed me not being able to wake up and go to the gym at 6am to my laziness of my extended vacation, I attributed my mood swings and depression to the fact that I have been away from my work for so long I'll have to work hard and suffer to get back on track.... but today I have a different idea about what's going on.

I will be finishing this pack this month, and I will be off this pill forever. I cannot believe i've been lying to myself and blaming all the bad stuff that I've been going through on my extended vacation!

I so much miss waking up early and going to the gym, being at my office bright and early at 8am and having a fabulously productive day without any mental pain or suffering... I've been so depressed I've been sleeping 9 to 10 hours a day, plus I've been so wanting to just drink and get away from people.

What a mess.... someone needs to speak up to these pharmaceutical companies and stop them from releasing such detrimental medication into the market. This can be very damaging to lives and women not even noticing. I've even had thoughts that life is not worth living.... how did I get to that if I am a brilliant happy and shiny human being???

I hope more women find this site and stop taking this pill. I will do my part to inform everybody and help anyone I can reach.

Love to all of you!

Hi again. I think some readers may be misunderstanding what I am talking about when I posted my story and talked about natural progesterone. Natural progesterone is a bioidentical hormone derived from plants. It's only side effects are that it may make you sleepy, and it may calm you. It is NATURAL; I am not talking about synthetic hormones like in BC pills or HRT. You can buy natural progesterone cream in any health food store OTC. I happen to have mine compounded into a capsule in a compounding pharmacy. Natural progesterone and other bioidentical hormones are not manufactured by the pharmaceutical companies, and are therefore, not pushed by doctors. You will not hear about them from your general practitioner or your OBGYN. They are generally recommended & prescribed by holistic & wellness minded physicians. Dr. John Lee is a famous author who has written many books on the subject if you want to research him for more information. Or just google bioidentical hormones for more information. I just wanted to clarify what I was recommending. I think some of you just heard "hormone" and got scared. I totally understand. I think synthetic hormones are evil too. My friend and I have been suffering from anxiety as the result of Yasmin for a few years now, and we have tried several things together trying to recover ourselves. This is the only thing we found that works for us. I'm not saying it is the answer for everybody.

After doing exhaustive research this evening and reading people's entries-TAKE NOTE! Please READ UP ON HYPERKALEMIA prior to taking Yasmin or YAZ OR ANY PILL WITH THE SYNTHETIC dirosperonone. It causes increased potassium levels. Have your potassium level checked before you start this pill! I just read up on all of this tonight for the last 4 hours and this is really really serious. I think that I may have discovered that this may have been what has caused the squeezing sensations I have had in my chest for the last six months. I also had pressure and developed a heart murmur. Both of these symptoms as well as fatigue and paralysis are linked to hyperkalemia and can lead to heart attack/failure. Two resources to check: one is a letter from Health and Human Services written to one of the pharmaceutical companies who makes Yasmin-with notification that they must discontinue their advertisments because they are mis-leading in a dangerous way. If you google Yasmin and Health and Human Services, the letter should come up. I am going to try and paste a portion of it in here because I think that this is so critically important. I read through all these women's entries and I just think we are a bunch of ginny pigs and some of this is life threatening. Not the prescribing doctor, the RN or the pharmacist responded to my concerns. The RN thought it was anxiety which I've read in the last few months, women are often told-discounted because women are supposed to be "stressed". I found a great article a couple of months ago about how most women's symptoms are discounted so you have got to take personal responsibility for your health and making informed educated decisions about these things beyond responding to advertisements. Berlex, one of the pharmaceuticals-basically looking at a 1.8 billion dollar industry-our pharmaceutical industry is our number one revenue industry. Check out: eMedicine Alert-Hyperkalmia.

To redaurora:
I am completely angered by your story!! I can't believe that an OBGYN would be so ignorant to think Yasmin didn't play a role in your mild stroke when it's one of the risks listed RIGHT ON THE PACKAGE. Honestly, it seems like we all have to do our own research on these things... it's the only way we can get trusted information (which I have thankfully gained from all the women on this site).
I did some research and found that doctors claim their number one source for information on side effects are the pharmaceutical companies themselves (like they are going to admit there's a problem). Also, I have a friend involved in marketing pharmaceuticals and you wouldn't believe what kind of perks docs get from drug reps! (conflict of interest??)
It really makes you wonder....good luck with your recovery from yasmin. I am 4 months off Yasmin as well and still suffering...

Hello All,

Just an update....I have now been off Yasmin for 5 months (as I suffered terribly whilst on it from Depression, anxiety/panic attacks and elevated heart rate with no history of these symptoms prior to taking it). It has been one very long and hard road...I continue to take one day at a time as I am STILL suffering from anxiety. It has definately gotten better (i have been keeping a diary of my anxiety levels to correlate them to my cycle...there is always a link) but let me tell you, it has been exhausting. Thanks to this poison I have spent hundreds of dollars on seeing a psychologist (although he was worth every cent!) for the first ever time in my life. I also have benefitted from cutting out all white bread, white sugar and caffeine from my diet.

I urge all those women going through withdrawals after getting off Yasmin to post their experiences on this site. There have been days when this site has kept me going.

Yasmin has taken a year from my life. It is pure poison. Prior to this pill, I have NEVER suffered from any form of emotional/mental health issues. I am now about 95% better. I eagerly await the day I am 100% the old me.

Take care all of those out there getting off Yasmin and those going through the 'aftermath'.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH and TELL YOUR STORIES...we all need to hear them. After all, it is easy to beleive you are going crazy when something continues to affect you 5 MONTHS after stopping it.

Pharmaceutical companies are going to have a law suit on their hands when the truth of the destruction of Yasmin is made known to the wider community.
:)

In response to 'voicesi', please hang in there! The time it takes for this horrible pill to get out of your body seems to vary for everyone. I have heard that a doctor said that it can be up to three months for the hormones to be completely out of your body, but that it will get progressively better as time goes on.

I was on Yasmin for nearly a year until I was 'hit' with waves of depression, anxiety/panic attacks, having horrible thoughts, rapid heart rate, dizziness/vertigo, loss of apetite. I became a completely different person and was scaring myself and my family. I stopped taking Yasmin 3 weeks ago and although I still have some anxiety (moreso constant worrying?) I am generally feeling alot better and feel like 'the old me' is coming back!

I know alot of people have encouraged others to call the pharmaceutical companies to lodge the effects of Yasmin (and I'm not discouraging that), but I feel in order for the 'word to get out' it needs to be made known to the media??? Pharmaceutical companies have their own agenda with this information. Also, I worry about women who don't have links to the internet. I am just so thankful I found this website and to read others stories, like they were telling mine!

Bring on the happy times!

I had been taking Yasmin for approximately two and a half months, when I discovered that the strange feelings I had been having could possibly be linked to this method of birth control. I have been experiencing panic attacks, one of which sent me to the emergency room (I'd never had one before), headaches, anxiety, lowered libido, increased hunger, more frequent urination and fatigue. After I got tired of feeling like death was at hand from the panic attacks, I stopped taking Yasmin altogether. That was just a couple of days ago. I hope no long-term damage has been done. I think doctors know about the side affects but because of plush deals or agreements with pharmaceutical companies, they push these drugs on us as the alpha and omega of our options.