Yasmin and pimples

I have been on Yasmin twice now, with a 6 month break while using Yaz (got free samples). The first time was for about 2 years. Now it's been 5 or 6 months. Both times, I have had the following side effects, but did not realize they were the pills fault, until I started taking it again -- and noticed the trend. These side effects are particularly bad the first 3-4 months of Yasmin, and then my hormones seem to level out...

1. Weight gain. I have gained 5 pounds since restarting Yasmin this summer. I am dieting and exercising, and I think that if I weren't fighting as hard as I am, my weight gain would be significantly higher.
2. Facial and random body hair. Ok, gross and embarrassing. I have had random chin hair pop up, and one strange chest hair that comes right before my period. These were not an issue while on Yaz, or after my body became accustomed to Yasmin last time. I am not normally a hairy woman. Seriously!
3. Pimples. These were the worst pimples I have EVER gotten, and had to visit a dermatologist for serious medicine to counter my acne. I literally have ACNE SCARS from the huge, severe cystic acne that I have while on this pill. I do not normally wear makeup, but no makeup could cover these HUGE zits! This is awful for the first 3-4 months, and my skin flairs up on the 3rd and 4th week of the pill still. People didn't even know they were pimples, as they were so big and red. Beyond pimple size. I don't know how to explain this well enough -- literally quarter sized. I am currently on my last week of pills for the month (week before period) and have a large cystic pimple that doesn't even look like a zit, because of it's size!
4. Heavy, inconsistent periods. My period last month lasted 4-5 days (about average for me). I bled through tampons and actually had to double up. For example, I changed my tampon right before I left the house for work one day. I got to work (30 minutes) and had bled through my heavy tampon, panty liner, underwear, and into my jeans. This is NOT acceptable!
5. Grumpiness. Yes, I'm a bit grumpier and more emotional than usual, but counter that with increased exercise (also to fight the weight gain).
6. Sex drive. Point blank: I have not had an orgasm since being on this pill. I'm a married woman, and that would be nice to have once in a while.

What shall I do about this? Nothing. Apparently Yasmin is supposed to be the best pill out there for weight gain, acne, and facial hair. So, they are telling me that other pills would be even worse...? Does ANYONE have a useful suggestion for a new birth control pill that will have fewer side effects?

I have a couple of questions. I stopped taking Yasmin 16 days ago and since then I've been feeling like I'm gonna get a cold. I have the symptoms but I never get the actual cold. Weird.

Also, I haven't been craving any chocolates and desserts at all. And I used to want _a lot_ of sweets every day while I was on the pill. Hey, I'm not complaining I just thought that was weird too. Hopefully I can loose about 5 lbs, 2 kilos, no problem then.

Other than that I haven't noticed anything different really. I suppose it takes longer than 2 weeks to get the benefits of being off the darn pill?

ive been using Yasmin for two months...and lately ive noticed that the pimples are coming out...experienced itch near my breast and most terrible thing that happened is i gained 20 pounds for just two month... if i stop taking the pill do you think everything will be back to normal??? please do help me...

melche

I posted here on July 15, and would like to update.
(I had been on Yasmin for 3 years and got off it at the end of June, then experienced severe migraine and fatigue as well as weight gain of 6lb in a few days)

On July 16 I had a little bleeding, and migraine stopped. Then, within a few days, my skin and hair became very oily. A few pimples appeared on my face. I hadn't had a pimple for 6-7 years and my skin had been dry. I keep losing and gaining a few pounds in a day, and my fingers and face swell especially when I get up in the morning. I had migraine and felt extremely tired on August 12 - 15. On August 16, I got my 'period' that felt fake - even lighter than when I was on Yasmin. It started very slowly, and very light flow continued for about 5-6 days. No cramp.

I don't feel normal yet. I get water retention, and my skin is still very oily. I got a pimple on my neck and some on face. My skin feels very irritated and feels like there're tiny pimples all over my face. I feel overly worried about things that are beyond my control.
Good news is my sex drive recovered and I haven't had yeast or BV.

I hope we feel better (normal) soon. I will update again. Thank you for reading.

I am 28 years old and have always had terrible PMS, maybe could be considered PMDD, and I decided to try birth control pills for the first time in my life to help regulate it. My doctor prescribed Yasmin, and I took them for less than two weeks before I stopped. In that time, my face and back broke out in pimples worse than I've had in 15 years, I was so depressed, I saw the world differently. I cried uncontrollably when I listened to the news, I felt utterly helpless. I lost my sex drive completely, and saw my relationships in hopeless, negative terms. I had a sensation in my head that made me feel like banging it on the ground, and I understood what might make someone shoot themselves in the head - it was HORRIBLE! And scary, and I have never felt like that before. I bled a mysterious, odorless brown liquid the entire time. I've been off Yasmin for 2 weeks and still feel nauseous and tired but as soon as I stopped, felt instantly lifted and better. And it was expensive - it would have been sixty dollars a month. Of all my friends and family, only one said to stop taking it immediately, and I'm grateful to have listened to her. It's amazing that such a tiny little pill can have such a huge negative impact. The only thing I learned is synthetic hormones are bad for your body!!

Went on it for 1month and it was enough to make me stop (and turn off using any pill for awhile)!!
I'm 22y,o female, first time sexually active in a steady r/ship, so i was taking it as extra precautions so as to avoid getting pregnant.

After first 2 weeks i noticed that i was feeling REALLY lethargic without reason (no change in routine/exercise), weak (lacking energy), lacking mood and enthusiasm, PImples galore (never been this bad in my life), and i had this breakthrough bleeding the whole 1month (minute amounts first 3 weeks, and the 1 week break off the pill = get my full on period),, i felt like i was bleeding for a whole month!!

There were other factors, eg. it was the harshest and coldest month of winter therefore i was wanting to hibernate more, not go out into the cold, eat warmer richer foods, .. i didn't put on weight, just a little bit flabbier stomach ...BUT the pill 'whacked out' my body .. and i still feel like im recovering ..

I experienced breast sensitivity and enlargement after taking Yasmin for just one month and have stopped taking it as a result. Does anyone know if this is a common side-effect? My doctor prescribed Yasmin to improve my skin and mood swings before my periods, but I can't report any noticeable improvement in this regard. In fact, I still had one or two pimples before my period. Does anyone know if these side-effects would have abated with time if I had carried on taking Yasmin?

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!

I started taking Yasmine in 2005 and almost imeemdiatley I started to have severe anxiety, depression, no sex drive at all and worse of all extremely bad migranes especially a few days before getting my period and during. My life had to be put on hold when I had my period because of the migranes. I stopped taking the Yasmine 3 weeks ago because I just couldn't take the migranes anymore. I have noticed I have gained some weight, my skin and hair feels alot oilier, and my hair has been falling out more than usual which is kind of freaking me out, don't have mood swings. My sex drive has gotten better which is a relief. I still don't know if my migranes will have gone away during my period. I'm just curious can anyone tell me if these side effects (hair loss, weight gain, oily skin) will go away after a few months.
When I went off another type of pill I actually lost weight, why is this one different?

i have been on yasmin for a week now and i have lost weight, i stutter and talk weird sometimes, my pimples are getting worse... i duno what to do.. this site scared me!! should i not take it? i have never taked BC before ... i kinda feel like my face is bloated a little and normally i work out everyday and today i didn't feel like it which is abnormal... what should i do ladies? by the way im 21

Where to start! I started Yasmin in Sept. of 2005. So I've been on it 2 and a half years. Things were fine for a while. It did what it was supposed to do, including no weight gain. That's how its been marketed here, so that's why i got it. Nothing has happened all of a sudden. Its all creeped up on me very slowly. Headaches, pressure in my sinuses, tiredness...all pretty simple. But here's the thing. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and put on Prozac. The Prozac didnt help. I came off it. Now here's the more troubling symptoms I've experienced. Heart Palpitations, squeezing in my chest making it hard to breathe, increased fear and anxiety (which cause heart attack-like symptoms which can more commonly be described as a panic attack). I've had my finger on the 911 buttons several times in the last 8 months. Now I'm discovering the joy of incontinence. Do you have any idea what its like to be in the store buying groceries and then all of a sudden there's a puddle of number 2 around your shoe? I do. I'm 23. Abdominal pain, stomach distension, constipation followed by diarrhea. Hair loss. Cold feet. LOSS OF SEXUAL DRIVE! My God!

I've said all this to my doctor. He ran blood for everything, there's nothing wrong with me medically. X-rays, mri's, cat scans, ekg's. Nothing nothing nothing. I changed doctors and told the new doctor my story. He figures that because i was put on Prozac for depression, that I must have developed Hypochondria (aka extreme paranoia and a belief that I'm terminally ill). Not true, I know its not terminal, i just need to be put on a new pill. My husband and I have regular sex, he's allergic to latex, and even those non-latex condoms. We're not ready for babies yet, so I dont know what to do. But if this helps someone else, then taking the time to write this was worth it. And as a side note, if you're on the pill and have the choice, and your doc wants to put you on prozac...Don't do it. Try switching your pill first.

Wow- It really sucks being a girl! The crazy thing for me is that I actually experienced all of the side effects everybody is experiencing BEFORE I began taking Yasmin. I began taking the pill ten years ago because of irregular periods and tremendous PMS. Yasmin actually saved my life! About one year ago, I decided to wean myself off of Yasmin due to the desire to begin a family and did fine besides having irregular periods again. Then, last month, the horrible side effects began to take lead again; depression, mood swings, acne, anxiety. So, I started taking the pill again last week and I already feel so much better! The depression has subsided and the pimples are beginning to clear up. I'm not as moody anymore and am not experiencing any anxiety.
To make my long story short, I think that each BC pill out there will work differently for each individual. For those of you having side effects, Yasmin may not be the pill for you. I actually took three other BC pills before finding Yasmin and experienced the same side effects with those three that most of you are experiencing with Yasmin. My best advice to all of you is to work with your doctor to try different BC pills and find one that will work for you.

pimples/acne. I'm going to have this pill changed. I might go back to Diane 35 or Althea.

I was on Yasmin for 4 months. I HATED IT!!! What is the point of being on birth contraol if you never are able to have sex? I was constantly bleeding after the 1st month. It was as if I had my period for 3 striaght months - every single day. And not just spotting, heavy flow. I was depressed, miserable and in so much pain. I had constant cramps and back pain. I went to the ER 2 times because of this and I was told the 1st time that it was just my body's way of getting used to a different pill. After I was on it for 3 months, I went to the ER a second time because I was in so much pain and bleeding so heavily, that I could not get out of bed. I actually had to wear Depends, pads were not nearly enough! The dr at the ER the 2nd time told me that he has had a ton of cases with girls on Yasmin with the same problem and to stop taking it immediatly. About 3 or 4 days after I stopped taking it, everything was back to normal - Thank God! I was extremely hesitant to try another pill after that, but I decided to give Ortho Tri Cyclin Lo a chance and I love it. No random bleeding, no cramps and my periods are always light. Yasmin should be taken off of the market. I have a bunch of friends who tried it and went through the same problems I did.

I'm so happy i found this I thought i was loosing my mind, little did i know all my problems had one cause. I've had time were a headache has lasted 3 days, I used to play sport now i'm to lazy to move let alone go outside. I've been depressed before in my life but none quite like this, I'm happy right now but i have days were i look at my partners face and i'm disgusted by him, i don't want to be touched i just want to curl up in a ball and feel nothing at all. What else... as soon as i started on Yasmin my skin went to hell became dry and itchy and blotchy, dead libido, pimples on my chest, it's just screwed with all my hormones, my hair is dry one second oily the next and it used great no effort, now my only option is to have it tied up all the time. I have also had major anxiety attacks and stress about minisucle things like not having anything to do! ridiculous.
I've tried other pills before with no prevail, i've decided to cease use of Yasmin and have given up on all pills...i say unless you allergic to laytex i say condoms are the way. I'd rather give up sex than live like this any longer.

I was compelled to write this because of all the negative comments that have been posted. I believe the symptoms people are experiencing are real, but I also believe that they don't happen to every single person who takes Yasmine. People tend to speak out more on the negative than the positive, and that may be part of the reason there's so much bad feedback. I've been on it for two weeks now and haven't had a single side-effect...nothing. Although I wouldn't mind the bigger breasts side-effect. ;) I'm 37 and haven't been on birth control pills in probably 15 years. At the time I started taking this pill, I also quit smoking with the help of Chantix, and still no major mood swings, depression, decreased sex drive, etc. I have very acne prone skin, but it's been MUCH less oily since I started taking Yasmine. I've had some breakouts, but no large cysts. I also started using Retin-A about a month ago and believe the pimples I'm getting now are from that, not the Yasmine. Bottom line, everyone is different, and not all meds work for all people. I would encourage anyone who is concerned about starting Yasmine or wants to come off just because of comments posted here, to think twice and talk to their doctor.

I have been on Yaz for almost 3 months, and have had reverse side effects. They said that it will help with PMS, Acne, and shorter periods. NONE of these things are true. PMS: I have been crying on the drop of a dime. I am barely ever in a good mood anymore, and people are starting to say things to me at work. I am MISERABLE. I am irritated easily, VERY paranoid, with no reason to be, and am picking fights with everyone, again, with no reason. It is driving my boyfriend crazy. ACNE: I had pimples here and there before I started this birth control, but now it has gotten VERY bad. It is all over my face and I feel helpless. Shorter Periods? Yeah right! Before I started Yaz, I had periods lasting for at most 4 days. My periods since Yaz have been up to 7 days! AND they start early...I have 2 pills left and I just got my period today. I am getting off this pill IMMEDIATELY, I am going to try Lo-Estrin next, hopefully it'll work better than Yaz!

i'm 21 and have taken Yasmin since i was 15 to control horrible horrible cramps. i have been so pleased with the Yasmin, it totally made my cramping go down a lot. i stopped taking the pill in june when my insurance stopped covering it. i also wanted to see if my cramps had changed at all while i was off. so i've been off the pill for about 4 months and for the past 3 weeks i've had these weird red spots on my scalp (kind of like pimples - but my scalp has never been oily). i've changed all my hair products and they wont go away. my mom suggested maybe it was hormone related. has anyone else had symptoms like this coming off the pill? or ever?

I was on yasmin for 3 years. I had horrible anxiety and did not know why. I just delt wirh it. After I stopped yasmin in jan 2005 I wanted to have a baby well for 4 months i broke out in painful cycstic pimples. Finally I got pregnant in sept 05 It took forever. After my daughter was born everything was fine. Started loestrin 24 fe. Bad choice there. I was worse than I was on the yasmin. This has costs me alot of money to find out years later that the bc pill was causing me to have mood disorders. Now off of them I am completly fine. Just remember when you quit taking them it can take 30 to 60 days for that shit to get out of your system Good luck/

Has anyone out there had an increase in urination? I started Yaz in Feb. and since then I've been peeing like a race horse. My OBY said it was probably an overactive bladder, typical for a peri-menopausal woman. I had tests for bladder infections and they read negative. I was in the middle of relocating my family across many miles and I just put up with the symptoms. Now I find out there is microscopic blood in my urine and I am scheduled for a slew of tests probing for tumors, cancers, polyps, etc. in my bladder and kidneys. My Dad had bladder cancer so I'm pretty scared. However, I am starting to wonder if there is a Yaz connection. I hate the thought of returning to periods where I couldn't leave the house because I was bleeding so much but all the risks here are scaring me. I don't have an OBY here yet but assuming I am not harboring cancer or an other disease (i.e., kidney stones) I think I'll go off Yaz. I already have horrible migraines and acne so I'm wondering if it will all get worse. My headaches are the same (2-3 times a month) with Yaz and my skin is better. It's been pretty good for water weight but as I said, I am in the bathroom way too much.

been taking yasmin for at least 8 months straight because i have endometreiosis.. it was really great for the skin; all my pimples disapeared and i suffered virtually no side effects.. however after 8 months i developed this red blotches in my arms and samll patches of very dry and itchy skin..i thought it was skin asthma because i have that too.. turns out it was yasmin..

I've been taking Yasmin since March of 2006... My periods have always been light and short in duration (3 days). In the past few months my periods have been 6-7 days with severe cramping... In addition, my hair started shedding excessively about 2 months ago and I've probably lost at least 1/3 to 1/2 of my scalp hair! My doctor tested me for thyroid problems, but determined that the hair loss was telogen effluvium (caused from stress). I have also been having issues with my stomach being upset and have lost nearly 15 lbs since I first started taking Yasmin. If anyone else has ever experienced hair loss from Yasmin, please let me know. I've read articles that have stated you can lose hair when stopping Yasmin, but I'm wondering if taking it could be causing my hair loss???

hey everyone i'm sorry to hear about all of your side effects. i came across this site just to pass some time and read about yasmin because i've been on it for about a year and a half, but i havent really experienced anything out of the ordinary. after reading these side effects i started to relate certain things in my life to possible side effects, but i think it may be me being paranoid since i've never thought of anything until right now while reading this.. and it is not extreme side effects, just occasional headaches or something, which very well could happen on their own not related to the medicine.

i just wanted to reassure people that dont have side effects (or people who are worried that they could get side effects) that everyone does not react to the pills the same way. you could get side effects at any time, but if everythiing is going well, there is not much reason to change. there are side effects to every medicine. my mom had switched to a different pill and gotten dark spots on her face, which haven't gone away, but her dr. switched her back to necon like before and she has been ok since then.

for people who are just starting yasmin, its normal to get spotting in between periods for the first few months and i know that i do not get my period until i am on my 4th day of 'reminder' pills. it doesnt come the 1st day after i am finished with the pills with the hormones in them. also, it usually lasts for about 4-5 days, with the last 2 or 3 days being light. i dont experience any cramping or intense PMS symptoms, just some slight bloating or tenderness, which happened before i was on the pills. it did get rid of my cramping and cleared up my skin (i did not have severe acne, just a some occasional pimples that rarely occur now).

i hope that helps a little bit if anyone had questions who was just starting it. i recommend not thinking that this pill is horrible right away, because everyone has different problems, but of course go to the doctor if side effects get bad like some of the women have posted on here.
best of luck

Guest 37371-

A decrease/change in vaginal lubrication is a change with oral-contraceptives. See a couple of entries below your entry on side effects of Yasmin. Many women have complained of loss of libido on Yasmin. Given how many other problems women here and on the new site in the UK have experienced, I cannot reccommend Yasmin or its sister pill Yaz at all as they have created very serious problems for many women including myself. I personally would recommend getting off it and finding a more traditional pill, or off the hormones altogether if you can and practice a more natural/non-hormonal method.

Yasmin generally helps women with acne which it did with me so you are experiencing sounds unusual. Another reason on top of many others to get off of it.

Look 2-3 entries below your entry and read the insert that comes with Yasmin-if you are experiencing chills and fever like symptoms-you should contact your Doctor immediately. This is not normal. Many women have had this happen actually-Yasmin and Yaz have some terrible life threatening and very serious health effects.

So, I'd say get off of it. Check the U.K site Flowerbabies set up. you'll see what kinds of problems Yasmin is creating.

I have been on Yasmin for a little less then a month. Since I have been on it my husband and I haven't not had sex, not once!! Before Yasmin we had a great sex life and now it's like, what's sex?? I have pimples the size of dimes that are nasty and I break out all the time. I gained probably about five pounds in less then a month. I get cold chills and fever-like symptoms and I really hate it so far. My husband just hates that we never have sex anymore. Is loss of sex drive one of the symptoms? I was reading about it and I guess my other ones are normal, but I read nothing about loss of sex drive. I'm 20 and a newly wed...I should want i should want to do it every day!!

I have been on Yasmin for a little less then a month. Since I have been on it my husband and I haven't not had sex, not once!! Before Yasmin we had a great sex life and now it's like, what's sex?? I have pimples the size of dimes that are nasty and I break out all the time. I gained probably about five pounds in less then a month. I get cold chills and fever-like symptoms and I really hate it so far. My husband just hates that we never have sex anymore. Is loss of sex drive one of the symptoms? I was reading about it and I guess my other ones are normal, but I read nothing about loss of sex drive. I'm 20 and a newly wed...I should want i should want to do it every day!!

how many of you read all the lists of side effect on every medication you have been prescribed i know one thing i bet u we all will now i took birth control pills for 15 years on and off never had any problems except for pimples or sore boobs minor things so when people or doctors say yasmin could not possibly cause these debilitating symptoms they dont have a clue this birth control pill yasmin is different from all of them dont ask me why becuase i am not sure all i know is that it screws up our bodies and it is an ugly mess to try to fix. doctors even, i think they are unaware of yasmins unique ingredient its different its ugly and symptoms after taking it prove that something is very uniquely wrong women have been off 6 mos 8 mos 1 year and still not feeling 100 percent we are all screaming out do not take this pill its to high risk that you might develop symptoms i did not notice them untill 2 years on this poison i loved it at first and had recommended it to people now look at me a mess 4 mos off if you decide to take yasmin please know that if you devlop bad side effects even if you stop taking this med your symptoms will not go away any time soon read onnnnnnnn dont be a fool take something else do your body a favor and stay away from this devil pill yasmin

I have been breaking out in pimples and feeling nauseous so I decided to stop taking it!

Hi Bitter RN and everyone,
Bitter RN, I would love to talk. Maybe we can meet for lunch or something. It would be nice to meet someone that is going through the same thing. My email is******. Email me and I will send you my number.
Reading all these post make me mad, sad, and alittle better that I am not going crazy. We are all suffering. I had the shakiness alot in my arms in the begining. That has gotten better for me. I still have the shortness of breath sometimes. I also have headaches in the back of my head and dizziness. I am ovulating now, so I really feel yucky. I just sit and wonder if I will ever be me again. Now I am on Lexapro and I worry that I will never be me again. I guess as long as I am happy, anything is better than the way I have been feeling. I just wanted to add that I too, had problems with the vitamins. They were making me more jittery and nervous. Which is weird because I never had that happen before the yaz. Does anyone else have the oily hair and painful cystic like pimples in scalp? Just curious. This is annoying me too. I have been having more good days than bad days this week. Yeah i guess! I still get the anxiety alot at night. It just hits me out of no where. If there is anyone that has the oily scalp. Do you have any suggestions on a product that helps. I had never had oily hair.

I've been on and off Yasmin for about a year now. The side effects I've experienced while on the drug are dry patches on my face and pimples on my jawline (which I've never had before!). For the past three months, I've also experienced inter-menstrual bleeding i.e. small amount of bleeding in between my periods. This can't be normal?!

I have been on Yasmin for about a month now. I have experienced dizziness/vertigo for the past 2.5 weeks, excessive urination, and I have a few LARGE pimples on my jawline.
Advice? Help? ******
Thank you, ladies!

I've been on Yasmin for just over 3 weeks...I'm 2-days into my white pills. And I am sick as a dog. I have been throwing up for 2 days. No fever or anything, though, which is usually the norm if I get a stomach flu or anything. My stomach is killing me. I'm experiencing very sharp pains and cramping, but it up high, just under and below my rib cage. I have cramps, as well, but that is an entirely different feeling in an entirely different locale.

I have been taking Wellbutrin for a couple of years and I have definately noticed a downhill slide in my mood since starting this pill...no sex drive, tired, weepy, grumpy and my temper is flaring a lot easier than normal.

My breasts have become swollen and for the past 2 weeks, have been sore to the touch and ITCHY. I have to hold them when I go up and down the stairs and if I hug someone too close, it really hurts. (My husband is NOT happy.) The itching seems to be centered more around my nipples, but its like having poison ivy just under the skin.

All of the literature says to give it a few months and I did get 3 packs to start with, so I'm going to try and stick it out. (I had morning sickness for the entire duration of my pregnancy, so I've learned to cope with it.) But if it doesn't stop in the next 24 hours or if it starts up again next month, this pill is going in the rubbish bin.

On the plus side, though, no zits in a while. I didn't realize that was something this pill helped, but it's very unusual for me to start my period without at least 2-3 really hard, deep, painful pimples showing up. I have to say though, I'd rather a have a few pimples that the pain and vomiting I'm going through right now.

Hi all! I've stopped taking Yasmin (thanks to this site!) a full week ago. I feel 100% better. My husband refers to me as his "new wife"....the one without all the anxiety, tears and crabbiness! I've lost 4 lbs (although I've also been watching calorie intake both before and after stopping Yasmin) and so far the only negative side effect has been a few pimples. I cannot tell you how much better I feel...its incredible and I'd never had thought it was Yasmin causing all of the trouble unless I found this site. My doctor doesn't believe me and said I shoudl not stop taking Yasmin unless I wanted to get pregnant. Well, we've bought condoms and I'm pretty sure we'll be ok :-). I've also switched ob/gyns because my old one wouldn't even listen to me and consider that my problems might be from Yasmin. All she wanted to do was give me more medication rather than try to find the problem. Good luck to all of you! Hang in there...it does get better!

I have been on Yasmin for about a year now, and I will agree with most when they say it works great at first. I noticed an extreme decrease in cramps, and I just stopped getting pimples all together. However, in the last 5 months I have noticed an INCREASE in many things. I have noticed that I am losing a lot of hair, cramps are starting to return, and I have been getting migraines, which I never had a problem with before. I get very nauseous when I drink alcohol, which never happened to me before either, and when I eat certain foods I get really sick to my stomach. Well, after reading all of these comments I am seriously considering a switch!

I had taken myself off birth control (Mircette) about 6 months ago and never got a period after that. So, my doctor gave me one month worth of Yasmin to have my period start up again. I just finish the month and after the 3rd week I broke out all over my face. Not just one or two pimples but a rash of pimples all over my face. Did anyone else break out from this pill?? If, so did you take yourself off and how long did it take to get back to normal??

Thank you Thank you Thank you for this site.
I was prescribed Yasmin by my GYN to help with the tiny bit of post period acne and also long and painful periods. She made it sound like the most wonderful and easy pill on the market! I was on ortho tri a few years ago and experienced a little nausea and a significant amount of weight gain. But nothing compared to what hell I just went thru.
First off, I have battled thru depression for much of my young and adult life. (I have been off meds for a year and have felt awesome). My gyn said that Yasmin is great for helping with PMS and getting thru the hormonal moodiness.
I started taking the pill on the 1st day of my period as instructed. I have been bleeding and cramping ever since. (2 weeks now as I write this). Normally I suffer for 2-3 days of heavy bleeding and debilitating cramps, NEVER more than 6 days! Also, I have cystic like pimples all around my eyebrows and T zone. (NOTE: Leave these alone, If you cannot see a doctor for treatment, crush up an aspirin and add a drop of water so you get a paste like consistency. Apply and leave on until it dries and falls off. Drink plenty of H20. Women's one a day vitamins may help too. ) I work in body/skincare. You can imagine how crappy it feels at work to suggest a face care regime to someone when you have pimples all over!!!!
I've experienced sore throat (which I thought were just allergies at first), tiredness, fogginess, stomach upset like a flu, constant nausea, and my feet are swollen up like little balloons! 90% of my depression symptoms have come back.
yesterday I felt so ill I had to leave work, I called my GYN and she said that these will go away as I get thru each pack, just give it a few months. I was tremoring, crying, nauseous to the point of vomiting, had a tingling in my hands-- I COULD NOT KEEP IT TOGETHER!!!!! I had my first panic attack in a year. It was by far one of the worst. And Im supposed to wait months to see IF the side effects will go away? Um, ok.
I immediately went to my primary care doctor who was surprised that I was prescribed this pill, it isn't tolerated well by many people and to stop taking it! She suggested that I try ortho tri lo- but i don't know if I will ever try another pill again.
When you ladies are feeling blue, go and talk to some one, hug your cat, call your mom. There is always hope and help!
I hope you all are feeling better soon! :) K

Silke
These hormones are responsible for tissue, skin, and muscle regeneration. I would not be suprised if thats what caused your muscle fatigue. Recently, I have tried to start to work out again and I have found that I lost a lot of muscle strength through out this whole episode. I had a lot of jaw aching/pain on and off the yasmin. You know the muscles around your jaw, mine would often be aching. I thought it was stress from the whole episode, but at the time I remember thinking it was strange because it didnt feel like I was clenching my jaw. It just ached. It even did it some this evening. My skin still feels sensitive and I have been getting big pimple like bumps around my hairline and on my neck, I was getting them a lot in my scalp, now it seems to have moved down. They arent really like pimples because they dont form a white head and pop like pimples, they seem to resolve quicker and go away without breaking the skin, thank god. I think it is the oil glands coming back? I dont know. Anyway are you still experiencing side effects besides the muscle aches/fatigue? I am still hopeful to make sense out of this whole nightmare. Trying to get the Dr.s to help is hopeless at times. The key is finding a good one I think. Let me know what you think of the website. I found it informative.
I dont know if they have labs that can test for saliva in Germany. The company is based in Oregon and then they contract out the testing to a facility closest to you. I will try to find out if this is done overseas as well if you are interested. look forward to hearing from you!
Take care,
Bitter RN

Hi,

I went on Yasmin when I was 19 for 2 years and never had any adverse side effects that I was aware of. My skin improved and people started asking me if I had lost weight alhtough I didn't change my diet/exercise regime (thanks to the diuretic in it). I went off the pill for 1 year, then went back on it 3 months ago, because me skin had been steadily declining, and being off the pill was the only connection I could make.

But this time, my skin didn't get any better. I've been getting large, very red, painful pimples unlike anything I've had before, and in random areas like my cheeks and even around my mouth and chin. I went on a minocycline, a mild antibiotic, for 6 weeks to help my face, and it got somewhat better, but whenever I would cycle, my face would seem to explode right on time with more of these painful pimples. I just finished the antibiotics and will not be taking them anymore since it didnt help that much, and I'm worried about the levels of Candida (yeast) in my body, which can also contirbute to acne and other health problems.

I'm starting to think that maybe now my body is just reacting differently to Yasmin then the first time I was on it. Although my skin in this last year that I'd been off it, I think I've traced these new, worse pimples to being back on Yasmin. And after reading posts here and on aphroditewomenshealth.com, I'm stopping Yasmin right now for good. I'm going to deal with my skin using natural methods.

Here's some suggestions for natural supplements that I've gathered from other posts to balance hormones and help adult acne in the process. I'm going to look into them right away.

Agnus Castus
Chasteberry (Vitex) extract
Progesterone Cream
Evening Primrose Oil

I've also started taking Acidopholus supplements to reverse the damage to the good bacteria in my body from the antibiotics, trying to keep the Candida in check. And I'm drinking 3-4 ounces of Goji juice a day, which is supposedly really powerful stuff for all kinds of health problems. One of my professors claims that Goji juice is the only thing that's successfully balanced her hormones now that she's going through menopause.

Hope this helps...Interested to hear if anyone else has had bad acne problems from Yasmin.

Wow! I just stumbled on this site and am very happy I did. I'm 42 years old and am almost finished my fourth pack of Yasmin, which I started basically for skin problems. My skin did clear immediately, but I gradually started having other things happen, but never really attributed it to the pill...actually thought it was more an age thing (I hate to say it) and was happy with my clear skin. I had the chest pain thing and went for an exercise test, which turned up okay. I turn into this "freak" every once in a while, crying and stuff, which I thought was basically because I'm so busy with work and family, etc. I used to run half-marathons, but was feeling so crappy and had gained a lot of weight, so I decided to join a gym and hire a personal trainer, as exercise had always made me feel better. Near the end of one of our sessions, I started to have trouble remembering her instructions. I then went into the change room when we were finished and I could not remember my lock combination. This scared me quite a bit. A woman then came into the change room and was asking me about my trainer and what her name was...and I couldn't remember her name! I managed to get my lock open, but I kinda walked out of there in a fog and it probably took me about an hour to feel "human" again. Later that night I had a pretty good headache. I talked to my trainer about it and we figured that I must have had an extremely hard workout and that maybe I was a little dehydrated. I have noticed that I have not been as thirsty as I usually am, so figured this was the problem. The final straw came a few days ago when I developed this killer headache with some breakthrough bleeding. I've made an appointment with my GP to talk about going on Alesse, but am now wondering if I should just forget about messing about with my hormones and put up with a few pimples in my 40s. Any thoughts? Any Alesse horror stories?

Julia

Hello ladies, it's Joodles with an update.....I am on day 48 of stopping this pill!

To date I have had 2 periods. I had gained 8 pounds in the first 30 days and also had swollen ankles (water retention) and a bloated stomach with a lot of gas.

As of today I have lost 5 of the 8 pounds, the ankles are back to normal but I do still have stomach issues.

In response to a lot of you asking about hair loss and acne, I too experienced hair loss, dull and lifeless hair. I have had a few pimples but nothing like when I was a teen ( I am 46 )
The hair is slowly growing back and I can actually see a bit of shine coming back.

My heart rate is back to normal, no more racing; the blood pressure is back in the normal range. My dizzy spells are almost gone and the headaches too!

The most important thing I have noticed is that my knees do not hurt anymore and I am not getting calf cramps at night in bed.

Ladies, it DOES get better. I had been on Yasmin for 1 year and I am so glad that me GYN told me to stop because my blood pressure was getting too high!

Hang in there and let's use this forum as a means to support and inform each other!

God Bless,

Joodles

Hi everyone,

I took Yasmin for about two years, with increasing severe side effects that finally caused me switch to another brand. Everything was fine for the first few months or so, then gradually I started experiencing symptoms that I would normally link to PMS, but I was having them all throughout the month. Each month it got worse and worse until I'd finally had enough.

My GYN repeatedly told me it was just taking my body a while to adjust to the medication, and to try to wait it out because I'd really like it once I got used to it, but after two years I figured I had waited long enough. It shouldn't take that long for my body to adjust!

I've been off Yasmin for about three months now and I have had a dramatic reduction in the symptoms I had been experiencing for about a year and a half. As I've previously said, my symptoms didn't appear all at once, but built up gradually over the course of several months. Specifically, my symptoms were:

*Extremely oily skin and really bad acne on my chest, back and face. When I say really bad, I mean it was worse than when I went thru puberty, which was pretty bad. The pimples on my face in particular were very deep and painful cystic acne, which is something I had not experienced before. I also broke out in weird places like my neck, around my ears and eyes and on my head (under my hair). And one time just inside my nostril. Ouch! I tried everything, including a dermatologist who advised Accutane (which I declined), nothing helped.

*My hair was also a lot oilier than normal. I didn't notice any thinning of the hair on my head, but I did notice that I was waxing my legs a lot less often, which was just fine with me. I have a lot of hair (genetic, thanks Mom and Dad!) and I usually get my legs waxed every month, but after I'd been on Yasmin for a while I was going almost four months between waxings. I have really thick hair on my head that grows like a weed, so it's possible that it thinned some and I just didn't notice. So that's one side effect that I really didn't mind.

*I started having frequent headaches that would linger for days. Not migraines, because I also get those from time to time, but a "milder" headache that felt like constant heavy pressure behind my eyes and all around my head. OTC meds were no help at all. I also had periodic cramps in my calves for no apparent reason (not due to exercising or injury).

*My breasts became swollen and incredibly sore. Again, this would occur all through the month. I had to buy a couple of new bras to accomodate the swelling and tenderness. I avoided any activity that would cause my breasts to move or jiggle at all, even walking briskly, because it was so painful. Showering was painful. Even wearing a soft tee shirt was too much sometimes.

*My periods gradually became heavier and longer, which is exactly the opposite effect from what I've experienced in the past with other BCP's. I also started having pretty intense menstrual cramps throughout my period and then at random times during the month. I would sometimes get light-headed when I was having these major cramps, to the point where I would lose my balance and fall or have to sit down immediately. Every once in a while, when I was having these cramps, I would experience a brief, stabbing-type pain that would literally take my breath away. My GYN was unconcerned about this, and told me that I was just having some side effects that would go away in time.

*I also experienced a fairly drastic increase in my normal vaginal secretions, all throughout the month. I started wearing panty liners all the time (which I'd never done before) and often changed my underwear in the middle of the day because I felt so gross. I sometimes carried an extra pair of panties in a ziplock in my purse. This discharge wasn't itchy or particularly smelly, so it wasn't a yeast infection or anything, just a lot more volume than usual. My GYN tested me for everything under the sun and everything came back normal. She told me it was "just my body adjusting" blah blah blah. At this point, I was really getting sick of hearing that phrase.

*The straw that finally broke the camel's back was when I started spotting all the time. With everything else, I felt like I was having my period all month long and I was miserable. I also had some of other symptoms, like anxiety attacks, insomnia, severe mood swings, foggy thinking, feeling tired all the time and feeling depressed but I have a long history of Major Depression, which I take medication for, so I attributed those symptoms to my existing condition. I can't say for sure whether Yasmin caused those symptoms, but I do know that they have pretty much disappeared or are under better control since I stopped taking Yasmin.

I've been off Yasmin for about three months now, and all of these symptoms I've listed are gone. My skin looks great, the enduring cramps are gone and my breasts feel normal again. Of course, my hair is growing faster again, but I'm willing to give up that one benefit in exchange for all of those symptoms being gone. I've switched to OrthoCyclen and I have not had any problems with it.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I needed to tell all of this to people who would understand what I've been through. I feel so bad for the women here whose stories are much worse than mine. I know everyone responds to medications differently, and Yasmin seems to work just fine for some women, but it seems to me that there are a lot more women all having problems and side effects. It can't be coincidence that we all have such similar horror stories about Yasmin. I guess the bottom line is listen to your body, and don't allow your doctor or anyone else to bully you into taking a medication that you know is causing you more harm than good. Thanks for reading my story and I hope we can all find solutions that will work for each of us.

Amy

I just stopped taking Yasmin 2 weeks ago, I think I need more time to get back in balance. I went off because I was experiencing:
-severe pain in my right calf, right where a vein is visible under my skin! I am only 28.
-horrible muscle cramps in my legs and feet in the middle of the night
-THE DRYEST SKIN EVER!!! I look like I have wrinkles, and all my life I have had perfect skin, no pimples, and very youthful, but since Yasmin, severely dry WITH pimples and bumps and uneven tone AND pigmentation
- Terrible mood swings and PMS, much worse than before yasmin, and depression
- dry skin over all of my body
- restless sleep
- headaches, never had them before yasmin
- dry wiry fuzzy hair
- extrememly dry eyes, and sensitivity to light, causing more headaches, and pain when driving in sun
- forgetfulness
- Extreme sensitivity to sunlight on my skin, this is scary because I have olive skin and never get burnt, yet in summer, on yasmin, I was burning after just a couple of minutes in mild sunlight, and when I got burnt I pealed in huge areas of raw looking skin and got no tan at all, which has never happened to me in my life, nothing would burn me before, and I could tan in a couple of hours with no dryness or anything
- cellulite looks worse
- enlarging of pores on face

I think that's it. I am waiting for all of these things to go away, so far they have lessened just slightly. I am looking forward to feeling young and healthy again! Thank goodness for all of you posting here, you have confirmed all of my suspicions!

To the husband who asked if anyone had positive experieneces on Yasmin, YES! I no longer have horrible menstrual cramps, significant reduction in PMS and got big boobs!!
I do however have some pimples and some leg cramps.

Hey, my english is´nt the best, but I hope you understand little!! I have been taking Yasmin for I month because I have pms and skin problems, but I have more acne than ever now I look terrible...... on my neck and jaw big pimples every were on my face... will this be better, would I give it a chance or stop?? I´m from scandinavia and there isn´t so many people taking yasmin there and I haven´t found any forums to talk abot it! Please answer me if you can I would be very happy, thank you! Tina

After reading other posts, I realized what other side effects I have. I noticed that I do have to burp(yuck) while I'm eating and it's like it won't come out. I also notice that my thighs feel like I have bruises on them, but I don't. I also got four pimples in the same spot, I was hoping Yasmin would help my skin, but I'll keep giving it a try.

I just got off yasmin last month. i could not handle the extreme moodiness pimples and brown splotches all over my face!!!!!!!! I was on desogen before and switched over to yasmin thinking it would be a better choice. It was not!!!!!!! I also looked extremely old at only 23!!! Im back on desogen and much happier, and younger looking.

Periods are very heavy, painful and long- 8 days. I get large painful pimples, almost boils, on my chin at the start of each period. Didn't have these problem with my other pilss. Although I do have less breakthrough bleeding and spotting with yasmin.

I have just started taking Yasmin. I'm just about to start the 3rd week as a matter of fact. Right now, I'm very put off by this medicine because I have had severe mood swings and my face is covered with pimples on my chin and a cyst on my jawline. Is this common?

Terrible Terrible pimples. I NEVER had acne before this. The occasional zit but nothing this bad. My chin is contantly broken out and I have terrible scars from pimples on my chin and cheeks. I was on Yasmin for 3 months and have recently switched to Ortho tri Cyclen. I hope it helps with my new acne.

Can someone PLEASE tell me if the pimples and soreness of the breast will ever go away? I've been on Yasmin for 2 weeks and I now have very unattractive acne. I didn't even get acne like this when I was a teenager! I'm almost willing to risk pregnancy rather than have all these pimples on my face! My breast are about 2 sizes bigger and very tender. Will these symptoms ever go away?

I have been on Yasmin for two months. I was on Levlite which I had to go off of, because I was having long unending spottings midmonth, then Levlen which caused me great ill and panic attacks, trouble breathing, headaches, severe fatigue. My doctor put me on Yasmin after this.....My breasts have grown larger in size (and they are already Ds. They are constantly tender and feel like they are severely bruised when touched. I have begun to gain weight; seven pounds in eight weeks, no matter how much I try not to eat a lot and go to the gym. My appetite has SOARED. Tripled in amount since I've gone on it, I'm a vegan, and before had eaten very mildly and lite, I crave water, my urine is very concentrated no matter how I drink, and crave sugar and carbonation. I have trouble sleeping because of very vivid and severe dreams and nightmares. (I take my pill at night before bed.) Always tired during the day, large pimples that last two to three days (cystic), then disappear. Pop up anywhere and everywhere on my face, and I've NEVER EVER had pimples or acne before in my life up till this last year with the birth control pills. It is embarrassing. I am having stomach pain with the Yasmin, feels like ulcers, but happens at any time during the day, like I've got a soft stomach and cant eat like I used to, coffees, etc. are unbearable, mostly in the morning when I wake, and in the middle of the night. I eat lots of tums to counteract it. Going to the gym is the only thing that makes me feel better, and then an hour later, I'm right back at being in attack mode. My boyfriend thinks I am insane. Things I say don't make sense, pieces of rationale are missing from arguments, I fly off the handle at any little thing, or difference I may have with someone. I am angry spitting fire, and then sad the next moment and in tears, ESPECIALLY FOUR DAYS BEFORE PERIOD UNTIL about three days into it. I am going to give this one more month, since I have endometriosis and am trying to do a continuous dose though the Yasmin isn't stopping my period from coming while I am continuous dosing, and I have been on four other pills in my lifetime, knowing changing pills is difficult and doesn't always come out with good results I am frightened to try something else, worried that the Levlen effects, which were the worst for me so far, with breathing difficulty and chest pain, will happen with another pill. I'm thinking that the severe mood swings, breast tenderness, and acne is worth it, as long as I can function without panic attacks caused by hormones. I am also having trouble with vaginal odor, a more pungent fishy smell that I've NEVER EVER had problems with before and only started with the Levlen, and now continues with the Yasmin, which is very disconcerting when in sexual circumstances; perhaps a vaginitis problem that hormones can cause since I am very monogamous. I'm unsure. I hope this helps someone else, or makes someone feel like they aren't insane or alone in this search for bcp.

My endometriosis, warrants me to stay on a bcp until I have children and/or a hysterectomy. I've had two laparoscopies for ovarian cysts in the last year. For people like me, bcp is the only fruitful option. If I didn't need bcp for this, say I just was using it as a birth control method solely, FORGET IT, I wouldn't touch this hormone stuff for all the money in the world. It is a horrible horrible thing to do to your body, and your outlook, your experience of the world, it takes your life over and makes things more difficult than any man or woman without gynecological problems could ever realize. Hormone supplementation or replacement is a curse. And I feel sorry everyday for women who have these problems to deal with in addition to the normal difficulties of daily life. I feel like the test of every decision daily are a constant drain on me, knowing at any moment I could fly into a rage or cry at the drop of a hat because of this and other hormone.

Good luck with your search ladies.