Yasmin and rn

Wow you are all a bunch of complainers who try and blame XYZ on Yasmin which probably have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the pills. I have bee diagnosed with PCOS and have been on hormone therapy since age 15, first zovia, which worked well enough but did not get rid of a lot of my symptoms, only lessened them somewhat, so now I am on yaz. My depression has completely subsided, I feel GREAT and only had some nausea which almost EVERYONE gets when taking a hormone therapy birth control pill. Trust me, if you are going to have SIDE EFFECTS it is not going to happen 4 YEARS LATER, please.... grow up and take responsibility for yourselves, rather than trying to blame a pill

Just reporting back with some information.
I've been off of Yasmin for over a month now. Overall I've been better but there have been a few "relapses" where I've become so dizzy/lightheaded that I hard-core started to panic. Those days can be disheartening.
I've read some previous posts from an RN who said that Yasmin in particular, suppresses your androgens (testosterone) which causes many of these symptoms. This also explains why sometimes it takes a while for these symptoms to "catch up" I know I was feeling great when I first started.
I'm a lot better now that I stopped Yasmin, but I know it's going to take up to six months to get back to normal. Have your doctor check your hormone level. Even if it's " low normal" that isn't healthy for say, a 20, or 30 year old.
For herbal supplements I would suggest Ashwagandha. It's supposed to help production of your androgens. Also keep hydrated and have plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids.
What I also encourage is to talk about your situation. Once you open up, you'll never know who you'll find that had the same issue. We women can be a very helpful resource for one another.
I'll keep you posted on the progress and I hope the best for all of you.

Hmmm.

My advice to all is to go see your doctor and discuss this with your doctor.
A doctor can help you much more than a bunch of postings over the internet.

I took Yasmin for 4 years and had no issues. I gained a little more weight, but considering everything else it did to help me with the PCOS, that is okay.

I took myself off of the pill for nearly 3 years because I was mad at my OBGYN for never being in the office so I stopped going.

I recently started the Yasmin again and I am glad.

Yasmin is mostly designed for women with PCOS or who need estrogen supplements. Yasmin is not for everybody. You should discuss this with your doctor to determine if Yasmin is right for you.

The health care system has failed me and led me to believe that I had many issues "inside my head." I was on yasmin since spring 07 and was fine for half a year until the symptoms one by one crept up. I too was experiencing the fatigue, the vomiting, the mood swings, the depression and anxiety. I've been known to be very laid back, very easy going, so when I had my first panic attack ever, I knew something was off.
Soon after, I started to experience heart palpitations, chest pains, shortness of breath. One day I was so freaked out I went to the E.R. with a standing heart rate of 142. When all the tests turned out clear, they told me that I should visit the psychiatric clinic. When they asked if I was on any medications, I told them I was on yasmin. The doctors looked at eachother with a confused look and asked me "What's yasmin?" Shows how much they know!
I was getting better overall until a few late-nite episodes had me waking up with my heart pounding and my thoughts racing. This happened two nights in a row which disheartened me since I thought I was slowly getting better. Then, I found this website, and everything made sense. I stopped taking the pill that night, and that night, I slept fine. It's been about three weeks since I've been off of yasmin and I'm 80% back to normal. I was at the point that I thought I would never laugh as loud or never smile as much as I did a year ago. The other day I caught myself with a huge smile for no reason at all . . . and that's when I knew I was on track to recovery.
I started to ask around and found out that many women have experienced very negative effects from yasmin. Last week, I told the woman whose office is next to mine and she proclaimed "I had the same thing too! So did my sister!"
The doctors won't believe you. Many of them are buttered up by the drug companies. Even my sister who's an RN told me that sometimes, you need to be your own doctor. And for symptoms of anxiety, depression, I would recommend 5-htp. It's a plant-derived natural supplement that increases the production of your seratonin. It's so easy to get misdiagnosed and placed on some other medication that has other adverse side effects.
Spread the good word, ladies. We must reach out to one another and take care of one another like sisters. Afterall, who else is there who we can rely on?

I truly believe after 4 months of research that the problem is that Yaz Yasmine cause severe anxiety coming off the pill and on the pill and it depleted or altered all of our neurotransmitters.

There are only a couple ways to fix that

1. Antidepressants
2. Alot of time like a year or more
3. Some forms of electromagnetic holistic approach but it takes 4-6 months and I hear very expensive

All I know is Yaz Yasmine changed my whole life and personality

The people taking antidepressants are off the birth control of course.........
I dont know for sure if neurotransmitters replace heal on their own Bitter RN is better without antidepressants as are some of you but it took almost a year.

Its very scary

Hi ipj!!

So you've experienced the "logic" of those gods in white with your magnesium levels too.... Here in Germany we have a sentence, that tells exactly how it is: "Two docs, three opinions..."!

I found another part of your post very interisting: You've said, that you went through a normal hormonal change in your late twenties, early thirties... Well, that's exactly where I am now (I'm 32) and my agony started in the age of 27!!! Well, and that was exactly the time where I started the Yasmin. I think that this was the biggest fault in my life, to start that poison and on top in such a "time of my life"...

I hear from many women in my age, who have different "problems" with their health which no one can really explain.... So I found it very interesting that your doc told you, that within that age a normal hormonal change is going on... Somewhat relieving for me!! (I'm going through very hard times again at the moment, 2 years OFF Yasmin!!)...

Something seems to be wrong with my thyroid which on top can bring the sexual hormones out of whack and so on... A really damn circle.... I hope I'll find a solution soon; had an appt. with an endocrinologist last Friday and got another bloodwork (hormones) done. I'll let you all know, when I have the results back...

Bitter RN,
I hope you did get my last 2 posts. They were pulled to the next site of the forum pretty quickly so I don't know if you had caught them... Thank you again for always trying to help!!

Dear ConcernedBoyfriend:
Well, I think everyone of us here can imagine what you and your girlfriend are going through right now... I felt and still feel so sorry for my husband, who had gone through this all with me (and has to do that now, after 2 years OFF Yasmin again...) and still thinks positive and is the only one, who keeps me going sometimes...

So I think the most important thing for your girlfriend is your love and care. First of all, please try to get her to STOP that poison thing immediately!! It makes me so angry to hear, what such young women have to go through because of this "wonder pill" from hell!!!! I think she has the chance to fell better much sooner than many of us here, because she's so young. Please, take the chance!!!

Who cares of a few pimples or oily skin, that's definitely not worth staying your whole life in such a constitution!! The pimples and oily skin and weight gain were my slightest problems within that agony... Some months I didn't care at all about how I might be looking... I just would have been thankful to be able to get out of my house again someday, even if I had a few pimples or such in my face... And before that nightmare I was such a health and look caring person (I've been a singer in a band for 15 years now....).

I hope your girlfriend will come to this site and see, what is doing all that to her and stop that thing asap!!! I wish you both all the best!!

Best wishes to all.

Silke

Hi bitter RN!! Hope you read my last posts... (I fear they were displaced in the meantime to site 2 or 3).

Just had a phone talk with my doc's office. They didn't tell me every result of the bloodwork but I asked them especially for those here:

TSH (Thyroid) 4,1 (!!) --> the highest it has ever been...

Transferrin: 340 (within the normal range but at the upper end of them; so it seems to be a bit high, which could show, that my iron storages are a bit low........

Iron: 76 (which is also still within the normal range but at the lower end of the normal ranges!!)

I have an appointment with my doc to talk about all the results on tuesday next week in the afternoon...

I hope they can finally help me somehow.......

Flowerbabies:

As you told, you have hashimoto's... do you know or could you tell me, how your TSH is??

Thank you both in advance!!

Best wishes
Silke

I am really getting more and more upset and frusturated reading these women's posts. Just today on teh "forum" post (see above-3 different ways to communciate about Yasmin)a 20 year old who had never been on a bcp got a pulmonary embolism two monhts on Yasmin!!!

Then I read Tricia's post and it makes me angry. How do we stop this stuff and stop the harming of more women!!!

And I got these damn tests back today from an RN who really doesn't know anything about Yasmin, high rates of potassium and suggested I find out an OBGYN and a Doctor! This is making me nuts. I keep finding inofrmation on the web that starts to add up. I know Yasmin increases potassium in the blood-but I went from 4.2 in Dec. 2005 to 5.7 Jan. 2007? One year? And I"ve been off of it for 3 months? The chest pains started in May 2006.

My breasts hurt. I have chest pain and going on 5th month of bronchitis like symptoms every menstruation! What the hell?

hi All

Well, the results are back from a blood test an RN took and while I don't have them in front of me, she advised that my potassium is "little bit high". The normal range is 3.6-5.2. i am at 5.7.

so after all I've been reading and the article on Hypokalemia and its risks from yasmin because Yasmin increases potassiium in the blood-I am wondering....??? 6.0 reading is where they recommend an ECG for arrythmias and treatment! And i've been off of Yasmin now for the last 3 months!

I just started a Calcium and Magnesium supplement 1000mg each as I'm convinced the high potassium threw the balance off of these two which regulate heartbeat and rate!!!

Anyone experience high potassium rates? It is one of the greatest risks with Yasmin!

hi Bitter RN,
i wondered if you could explain a term used on my blood samples? please.

serum sodium =135mmol/l
serum potassium haemolysed.

what does haemolysed mean? i get sooo confused searching through the internet!

sarah

RN

So my levels are very low correct. Wonder how I functioned before Yaz with them so low???

Estradiol 10....19-83
Progesterone 2 0.15-1.40 follicular phase

what does all this mean????
so complex gosh

I will try the lowest dose Loprexa dont want to but I cant lose anymore weight I spoke to the pharamacist in my town she said a quarter pill of Loprexa a day is nothing and will take the edge off she said I have lost too much weight and I may get sick from the weight loss..I have a duaghter to raise and Iam a single mom

She said with Loprexa you can go off it after one month even that it is nothing like the others

I may try it to get thru

Kim,

please remember, that being off a bcp (not only Yasmin or Yaz) for only 6 weeks really isn't very long!! Most doctor's say, that it lasts at least up to 3 months for the chemicals of the pill to leave your body completely, because it's not only in your blood but also in your tissue, and getting out of there takes much longer than getting out of your blood!! (That's another reason why drinking loads of water is so important!!!)

So even if your hormone levels maybe at the same stage than one year ago, there maybe still the side effects of Yaz, that you're experiencing, on top of the hormonal problems you've mentioned!!

Please Kim, try to stay strong and give it more time, 6 weeks off that pill really really isn't enough to say, you have to feel well again at once!! This is no cold or a flu we are or were going through!! Hormonal problems can't be solved within a few days or weeks, it definitely takes months (should be clear alone by the fact, that our cycles last about one month!).

And if you feel that an antidepressant might help you, please give it a chance. I still don't know if you had already tried the Valerian, I've mentioned a few posts before (well, although, as bitter RN told, you should not take it together with other antidepressants as ssri or such!!). I found this a very good little helper during my hardest days. It always helped me to calm down and at night it helped me to sleep. Please think about it.

Best wishes to you and I'll send you all the strenght I have left over to stand this Kim!!

Silke

Silke and RN

My hormones in the 4th day of my cycle were estradiol a 10
Progesterone a 2.0

My doctor said these are low...but she said they are the same they were one year ago this time so she said I may run low

I have all the symptoms of low estrogen and low progesterone but why a year ago I didnt have these symptoms?? Do you guys have any ideas??

Iam trying to piece the puzzle.
All I can think is that my levels were low going into Yaz than Yaz forced the levels way up in the short time than when I stopped the pill they plumeted back down towhere I was orginally thus leading to all this horrible anxiety and Yaz symptoms.

Does that make sense??

My clothes dont fit anymore sad face

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.

Silke RN and SaraH

i GOT THAT BADANXIETY IN MY ARMS LAST NIGHT AND MY HEART BEATING FAST IT WAS WEIRD i MEAN i HAVE THE ARM ANXIETY ALMOST EVERYDAY but I hadnt had the heart beating.

omg I had the worst heartburn ever in my life last night I ate some fried chicken and tomatoes and toast and man it was bad I had slept the last three nights and than last night couldnt

I just wish i could figure out what is causing the anxiety if my hormones are low but what they were a year ago than what is spawning this anxiety?? Is it the checmicals fromthe pill is it because I have been upset over this illness for weeks what is causing the anxiety I want it to stop

i have been off yasmin for 10 weeks now and i was starting to feel better and the past few days my anxiety came back a few days after ending my period and i now also am suffering from extreme nausea does anyone else have this nauseating problem i am so worried that this pill has caused some serious damage to me does anyone have any answeres to why we are going thru all of this its so scary it seems bitter rn and silke seem to be pretty educated on alot of this thank u both for your wonderful posts i am fairly new to this but you guys are great i wish we all could go protest outside the berlux company
foggyhead

What should I do about the progesterone cream Iam so confused if its helping if I need it if I dont if it is making things worse....RN I think said initially it can cause more anxiety.

I dont need more.

I was suppose to apply the cream this am and didnt what do allof you think.

What about the weight loss my ribs are sticking out???

Iam drinking water getting massages at home
My whole family doesnt know what to do with me its the holidays and my poor daughter is besides herself.

Also I cant go to work and in fear my job is going to be loss

Dear bitter RN!! Thank you so much for caring about me and everyone here so intensive!! It feels good not bo be alone with all that sh....

Well, my gyn said, everything was ok with my hormones. But I must admit, that I don't really believe him. It felt as if he wasn't sure himself, if really everything is ok with my hormone levels... He sounded so unsure... I think that hormonal things should better be done by an endocrinologist and not just a "simple" gyn... And if you're testosterone level with 0,6 already is "low", well, then what is mine with only 0,37?? Hmmmm... I'm getting so angry again about all that "gods in white"...... :-(

I'm sorry, but I can't read that part of the testresults behind the number of Testosterone. They sent it to me over fax and the part behind "ng/..." is totally unrecognizable.

But they even only sent me a handwritten protocol and not the original results from the laboratory. So I'm gonna call them again this evening and ask about sending me the original!! Also the normal lab ranges are missing on this protocol, so I can't say anyhow what those numbers would tell me....

As I found out over google my prolactine may be a bit high, but my gyn said, it was pretty fine. Hmmmm... I really don't trust in any doctor after my whole story any longer I fear!! So I'll really try to get those results completely and see, what I can find out by myself or with your help bitter RN!!

The blood was taken on day 3 or 4 of my cycle. My gyn told me to come to him within the first week of my period, which I did.

The fact about your iron levels sounds very interesting!! Another thing, which my gyn didn't want to believe in and therefore didn't test! I found out that the tiredness, weakness, breathlessness I was experiencing the last few weeks after my heavy period and that heavy cold are definitely symptoms of low iron levels!!! And another thing: My finger nails look totally unnormal, and that happened also since I've been getting my first period in August!! They are so soft and totally bend, it looks completely unnatural!!! And that's the way they looked ALWAYS (during the last years), when I was in such a bad constitution!!!

I definitely have to get to my family doctor to get that iron levels checked finally!!! And please all the other ladies: One little thing you should do also!!!

That sore mouth can also be a symptom of low iron levels (as well as for hormonal imbalances). And you may wonder: I HAD THAT DURING THE LAST WEEKS IN A VERY HEAVY WAY!! My tongue and mouth, especially the gum and teeth hurt so much somedays, that I thought I had something serious and should get to the dentist........ Sounds remarkable, doesn't it!???

Again to kim and dejay:

Everything that bitter RN wrote here is so right!! Reading it I felt as if I had written everything by myself!! And 5 weeks off Yasmin isn't really long I fear!! Even if you had been on it for only 3 weeks. So please stay strong and keep looking forward to the next months, there will be better times I swear, all it needs is TIME and PATIENCE, please believe us!!

And in a few weeks or months YOU will be posting here by yourself for many other women, that everyone who told you, you'll be better, was so right!! That's how it was for the last 2 years now (that's the time I've been coming here nearly EVERY day now!!)

Best wishes to all of you!!!!

Silke

RN

Thnaks so much its tough I just went to the Walgreens with my mom and got lightheaed and anxiety what is it. I never use to feel this way. The anxiety is horrible!!

When is it going to stop??

I just get scared it will never stop I know all of you said it does but its scary I dont look like myself when I look in the mirror I dont feel like me anymore where did I go how could being on a pill for 3 weeks do this to someone. I was only on it for 3 weeks and off of it now for 5 weeks.

No I dont live in Arizona Dejay does.
I live in Florida.

Iam drinking a ton of water walkiing trying to work trying to get out
I just want my life back

Has anyone on or having taken Yasmin experienced actual chest pains? Like the sense initially aches/pressure in the chest? That comes and goes? I am asking because I had this and still do after being off of Yasmin for 2 months. I also have been diagnosed with a "murmur" (which is irregular flow of blood) which I think I have now seen plenty of women complaining about.

Has anyone now off of Yasmin relieved the trouble with the plugged/pressure in the ears? I am using a Nasal rinse bottle and that seems to help a little bit. I did mention in previous emails that a hearing doctor told me that they have known for a long time that ortho-contraceptive pills are odo-toxic meaning toxic to the inner ear because of the way they adjust fluid levels in the body which directly impacts fluid levels in the inner ear. This is just so crazy to me that they know that and yet, no where do I see this published and the RN's and Doctors don't know this?

this has clearly for me been such a lesson in responsibility for personal health and warey of drugs in general at this point.

To Sylvia,

yes, while on yasmin I noticed my ears would feel like they would "pop" immedidately after taking the pill in the morning originally-as though you were talking in a bubble. But what was really happening was like what happens when you are descending in an airplane....I've been off for two months but still have pressure in both ears and I too can hear my heart beating in my ears-that I think is normal though unless you may have a more congestion than I have. I have also had colds now for two months since going off of the Yasmin! I am planning on going back to the RN this Wednesday to re-address and ensure that I don't have a greater risk-of health.

Per a couple of folks questions: I recently saw an RN practicing with a Doctor because of loads of side effects that I attributed to Yasmin. most pressing was chest pains I developed in May that came and went, initially on the left side under my breast, and then in June. across my chest. This continues to come and go but seems to be elevated just before my menstrual cycle. To what I figured, they confirmed I had re-developed a heart murmur and advised that it is very common....I had an EKG done and this appeared to be normal but I have since read about Hyperkalemia (excessive potassium in the blood and its symptoms which seem identical to what I experienced while on Yasmin) and the person who wrote that she had pulmonary thrombosis-really concerns me. Can anyone else say that they have experienced lowered heart rate, skipping of beats/irregularity of rhythm on Yasmin?

Can the other people who have advised about the ear blockages say more? I saw a hearing doctor who told me that ortho contraceptives are odo-toxic (which means toxic to the inner ear) and they have known this in their field for a long time but the prescribing doctor and the RN I saw knew nothing about this. I have been off of Yasmin 2 months now (SEE PREVIOUS ENTRIES I MADE UNDER YASMIN RESEARCHER AND JPISANO) but my ears still feel like they have alot of pressure in them and I've just come through almost 3 months of being sick which I never am! I got a cold at the exact time I got off of the Yasmin. Then, started another head cold just this last week?

I am in a bit of a quandry right now because I am in transition career-wise and only carrying major medical so I have been very cautious about seeing Doctors right now but am quite concerned about all the things that happened while taking Yasmin that I am now still suffering from two months later.

I already filed on Federal Drug Administration's website which I highhly recommend. If they have enough well documented troubles, they can take action.

can the person who had PULMONARY THROMBOSIS please write and advise what your symptoms were and how you discovered that you had this and how it was treated?

Thank you.

to Murph70,

Are you serious that you were almost blind? Strange how the more I think about all of this and the things that occurred during those 2.5 years, the more realize how much was linked to taking Yasmin. This is crazy. I read through so many of these emails and I too was advised by both the prescribing doctor as well as an RN that Yasmin could not be responsible for the symptoms I was experiencing. Makes me absolutely nuts that this is happening to so many women, being advertised so heavily and that people in the medical field prescribing it are unaware and discounting.

Can anyone advise what treatment has been the most effective for coming off of Yasmin? Ive been off now for two month. I still have alot of pressure in both ears and interestingly noticed several people who advised they had colds coming off of it. I got really sick immediately following coming off it with someone that took me two months to get rid of. Then, after two weeks, I just got another cold. I've never been sick like this!

It occurred to me that it could well likely be due to how the increased potassium levels or changes to the electrolytes have effected the immune system? Anyone else had this experience?

While I can't say I noticed a change in sexual drive (except I will likely notice that more as I am off of it for longer), did notice I was exhausted all the time. ALL THE TIME. I would shower in the morning and then want to go right to bed. It depleted me and all my energy. And like some other people, lost interest in everything I enjoyed.

I've never been able to find vitamins that I could take that didn't make me feel kinda sick. How much magnesium is recommended? Any particular type of vitamin recommended?

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.

I started taking this pill upon recommendation of a highly reputable Medical Doctor in January of 2004. At first, I thought highly about this pill however within a very short period of time, I discovered several problems that took me almost two years to discover/attribute to this pill.

6 months after starting this pill, I noticed serious changes in my vision. In particular my right eye. My next visit with the eye doctor confirmed that I had gone almost legally blind in my right eye. Following 34 years of very good vision this was very strange.

In the next two years, I noticed that shortly after I would take the pill, my ears would have a popping sensation. They would actually close up so I felt like I was talking in a bubble. This would continue for sometimes, up to two hours after taking the pill.

One and half years after taking this pill, I started experiencing squeezing sensations in my chest-on the left side, just under my breast bone. Over the next six months, this sensation spread across my chest. I went to an RN I had seen years past because I knew that something was off. She confirmed a murmur and they did an EKG which appeared to be normal.

In addition, I had my hearing checked. I discovered in this testing, that my hearing was fine but I discussed the sensations I was experiencing in my ears-pressure which I am actually now still experiencing 2 months after discontinuing Yasmin. He told me that ortho-contraceptives have been known for a long time to be "odo-toxic". That means, toxic to the inner ear! As we talked, he told me that the oral contraceptives change fluid levels in the body-I knew that Yasmin increased potassium levels-bingo-he told me it was likely that the inner ear fluid which is composed of potassium, was out of balance and that this would, could likely cause the sensation of pressure.

The pharmacist didn't know this. The prescribing doctor didn't know this and the RN I went to see didn't know any of this.

Two months after dis-continuing this pill, I am still experiencing squeezing sensations in my chest and my ear drums feel like they have alot of pressure in them. I am likely going to see another Doctor very soon.

Bingo Bitter RN!

I had trouble sleeping for about the last 3 weeks (very weird dreams and just somehow agitated and anxious), I felt about 30 years older than in the past few months and my concentration is so low, that it sometimes really "hurts" to think about complex things or read something or watch television. Everything my brain has to do is so exhausting!!

Even cooking the meals seems to be overwhelming to my head. About 2 days ago I felt like I was going to faint after cooking a meal with lots of vegetables and other ingredients (I had a lot to cut up small and to prepare). I thought I could not finish it, because my brain wouldn't be able to work any longer and my eyes couldn't fix a point!!

For another example: We are due to getting our house completed (the upper floor (attic) is still not ready) and had an architect here about 3 days ago. It was so exhausting for me to think about his plans and get anything together in my head (imagining how the rooms will be and what should be changed in his plans and so on...). After that discussion my head felt totally drained out and I felt so tired and dizzy, I nearly was about to faint!! It was so frightening!!

And also that "eye problems" are there again!! As the last poster wrote: << ...feels like severe eye strain or I'm going cross eyed>> BINGO! That's exactly how it feels to me too!!! Yesterday I had problems at our weekly shopping. It was so hard to look around and find the things I was searching for in the supermarket!!

And today my brain feels, as if it was still "asleep" somehow and couldn't be waked up by nothing!! Feels a little like comatose (dazed and sleepy)...

I'm so astound and a bit relieved (ok, though not about the fact, that you, guest, are also still suffering from Yasmin while you were only on it for 2 months!! This is so shocking....), that there really is someone, who still has the same problems as me!! And how you explained your problems AFTER your period: I felt EXACTLY that way after my first period in August 2006 (anxiety, dizzyness, weakness!!)!!! But those problems went away again than in about 2 weeks or so.

OMG, ladies, this all sounds so relieving! After reading your posts (guest and bitterRN) there really is some hope for me, that I'll be better again in a few days/weeks and I won't be going down the hill again constantly like it was about 2 years ago (in that time I still was ON Yasmin)!!

BitterRN, You've asked, if anything has changed since that first heavy period in August. Yes, I must admit that I had more stress than usual during the last months because of the band practices we had (even joined a new band on top of my other band) and I started performancing again with both of them (had already about 6 gigs in the last 3 months). I had a lot of work to do in my job (MUCH more than usual!! I'm working as an attorney's secretary). And surely not to forget the stress, that your body has during a virus infection or bad cold, which I had in starts October...

I also realized, that my weight, which was constantly going down for about the last 8 months (about 1 kg per month) has a bit levelled off. It didn't rise again but it also didn't go down very much more, which is absolutely unusual (did not eat more than before!!).

So I think my next thing to do is getting my hormones checked again. Well, if there's no specialist here in Germany, I think I'll get that test done at my gyn and try to get a copy of the results to go on with the research by myself. I'll surely visit the website you've mentioned, BitterRN, and see, what I can get there!!

Ladies, thank you again so much!! I don't know how I would be feeling right now without your encouraging tips and kind words!!

Thank you, guest, for praying for me!! I'm sure it will help, as it already did somehow in the past 2 years!!!

God bless you all and stay strong. I'll try it, too!!

And all of you ladies, please keep in touch. I think there are so many women out there who need your/our help!! Especially those, who got off Yasmin more than 1 year ago, please keep up posting and telling us, how you're doing, just to spread a bit of hope to everyone and finally find a resolution of our still lasting hormonal problems after that Yasmin chaos!!

love,
Silke

Guest 22505-

I really feel yasmin knocks peoples hormones so far out of whack that it takes a long time to get them back in check. I would say to get your hormone levels drawn (I feel the salivary tests are more accurate than blood draws, though there is controversy in the medical community about this.) I am talking from experience as my blood hormone tests came back "normal" but my salivary tests came back low. I have been working with my OB and endocrinologist who are finding me referrals on NATURAL hormone replacement. I have actually just started some natural replacement and feel like my symptoms might be starting to improve. I really feel like this is the first step though, get your hormones tested. You can order a salivary test online through ZRT labs by going onto www.salivatest.com. I ordered the hormone profile I This tests all of your basic hormones. You do not have to have a doctors prescription to order the test unless you live in california, but if you want to try to get it covered under your insurance you would have to have a doctor give you a diagnosis code. I just paid for the test myself and then showed them to my doctors when I received the reports back. Then you can work with your doctors to figure out where to go from there. The tests are a little pricey at 150.00 but have been totally worth it to me in understanding what was going on with my body. If you have any questions dont hesitate to ask me. Meanwhile hang in there, I have been off yasmin for 5 months now and things are still slowly improving, however I have renewed hope that this natural therapy is speeding up the process.
Bitter RN.

Well, I'm from Germany and I don't know if I can get such a test here to. But I'll search google tomorrow (it's already very late here and I'm a bit tired to go and search for it now)!! But it really sounds very interesting!!

Did you have problems with your muscles, too?? That was one of my biggest problems (muscle fasciculations and weakness) and it is still not gone completely. Somedays some of my muscles like arms or legs feel very weak...

I blamed these symptoms mostly on the loss of vitamines and minerals that Yasmin definitely has caused in my body (I had been taking that stuff for over 5 years...... with sometimes feeling better and sometimes feeling really miserable without knowing why.....!!).

And it seems to be very difficult to get back in balance for my whole system as I'm still suffering from some of the symptoms after being off Yasmin for so long (February 2005)!!

I'll post again if I find someting similar to that saliva test you told about, here in Germany!!

Thanks again for your always very helpful and delighting posts, Bitter RN!!

I wish you all the best and am looking forward to hearing (reading) from you again!!

Silke

Hi Bitter RN!

Yes, I'm here!! :) I come around every little day and read all the new posts. I've been doing that for about 1 1/2 years now, because it always helped me so much, and I think I'll go on doing that!!

Well, I don't really know what a saliva test is. I had only the normal bloodwork and hormone tests done, which came out fine, just the hormones all in the edge of what's normal, some a little high, some a little low. (That was in July 2005....)

I'm planning to get another test done around June/July 2006 to see, if anything has changed (remember, I've still got problems after 1 Year OFF Yasmin....).

Is that saliva test any better than the normal bloodtest?? Where could I get done this test and what does it show?

Silke??

Are you out there? I was wondering did you ever have a saliva hormone test to profile your hormones? Not a blood test, a saliva test. Looking forward to your reply. Has anyone else out there done one??
Bitter RN.

Silke???
Are you there? I have a question for you. Did you ever have a sputum test done for a hormone profile? If so, which ones? I had one done and my testosterone is low and my other androgen levels were borderline low. Im beginning to think the spiro in the yasmin depresses the androgens, at least in my case. If you log onto www.salivatest.com click on 24 hour hormone hotline in the second box down on the left side of the screen and then click on 630 androgens and testosterone listen to what the woman says testosterone is responsible for maintaining in your body. It explains a lot of what I am feeling because my testosterone is low. BY THE WAY I had hormone labs drawn 2 times at different dr offices, one did not even test testosterone, the other did but it came back "normal" I am looking into talking to a doctor who deals with natural hormone replacement. I am just wondering if you ever had a saliva hormone test done? Looking forward to your response. Bitter RN.

hi there bitter rn and all

it is now my seventh day of this horrid pill, i took the last one out the packet last sunday and hoped it would be the end but i guess i was wrong.
i started my bleedin on thursday and have stopped today, it only lasted 4 days. i am due to take the pill again on tuesday but obviously i wont, so i guess my real test being off the pill will start then cause my body is used to having the 7 day break, i wonder how my body will react to not having it on tuesday?!
ANY IDEAS ANYBODY PLEAZ HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also this period has been the worst, i have been very anxious, light headed and stressed, althogh today has been better than the past couple of days.

i have been on this pill exactly 1 year and 1 month and the symptoms of depression, anxiety, panick attacks and headaches only started on the last 2-3 months of taking this awfull pill

although i am happy to find out what caused me all these problems i am horrified of what people are saying they experience once they come of this pill.
I AM A VERY SENSITIVE PERSON ANYWAY AND AM SO FRIGHTENED OF WHAT HAS YET TO COME PRE-YASMIN
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

ALSO MY DR HAS PRESCRIBED ME ANTI-DEPRESSANTS CALLED CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE 20MG DAILY. IVE TOLD HIM THAT I WILL NOT TRY THESE UNTILL 2 MONTHS PRE-YASMIN, TO SEE IF I CAN HANDLE THE EFFECTS OF COMING OFF THE PILL WITHOUT MEDICATION.

HAS ANYBODY OUT THEREEVER HEARD OR TRIED THIS MEDICATION???????
MY DR SAYS THEY ARE NOT ADDICTIVE BUT IM TO SCARED TO TAKE ANYTHING AFTER THE HORRIBLE HELL ON YASMIN

ALSO IS THER ANYTHING I CAN TAKE FOR THE SEVER MIGRAINES BITTER RN?????????

PEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

THANKYOU EVERYBODY IF IT WASNT FOR YOUR COMMENTS I WOUD STILL BE ON THIS EVIL PILL
THANKS AGAIN

SOPHIExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi everyone,
UPDATE -- I stopped Paxil CR and started taking Effexor XR today. The RN I saw spoke with me about my anxiety being a side effect of being on Yasmin post-partum for a total of about 12 months. The Paxil CR did not help me as much as I needed it to. I am praying for the day to come when I will need NO medicines... just like when I was pre-Yasmin. I was so healthy and happy before I poisoned myself to regualte my cycles.

ALSO - I tried (several times this week) to call the hotline on the YASMIN website to report an ill-effect of the medicine. I called today at 2:00 Eastern time as the website had the following:
Contact Us Product Information Hotline: 888.237.5394

Our specialists are available Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 p.m. EDT to help you with any questions you may have about YASMIN.

Well.... guess what -- nobody answered, I got the "after hours" message line. So, where are all of the "specialists" who can discuss my side effects??

Has anyone else called?

thanks :-) we are in this together......

Hi Guest 18026,
As an RN, have you seen many other cases of women complaining of syptoms (especially anxiety and depression) while on or coming off birth control? Im just interested in the opinion of someone in the health profession. It seems like some docs don't doubt the syptoms while others look at you like you're crazy!

To those of you asking about tingling/ burning in your face pre and post yasmin. I experienced this both during and after yasmin. I was on it 3 months. It managed to dehydrate me especially in my face. I have very oily skin and hair. The yasmin took away the oils in my face and hair, even the pores on my nose closed up. My skin felt swollen and sensitive like a light sunburn at times (tingly) shooting pains in my cheeks, jaw aching (Im a clencher i dont know if this was stress related.) Also my hair texture changed less oily, thin dry and brittle also my scalp was real sensitive i couldnt even wear my hair in a clip or ponytail without severe scalp pain. Needless to say it was falling out all over the place but it has let up now. (I took prenatal vitamins while this was happening to keep it growing fast.) I had lots of other symptoms too, been off the evil little pill 3 months now. Slowly getting better. I am an RN and I think this pill is bad news. I took ortho novum 777 for years with no problems, no side effects. I thought they were all the same. I cannot believe the LIFE CHANGING effects this pill has caused me and so many other people.

I have been on yasmin for about 8 months. I have had a hard year and I associated my depression, anxiety, IBS, and insomnia to that. When I first went on yasmin my mom who is an RN advised me there were no serious long term side effects related to yasmin. When I had my first anxiety attach it was after being on Yasmin for 1 month. I never though it could be related to my B/C. I have developed IBS, which causes horrible cramping, gas, diarrhea, and anxiety over "where the next bathroom is." This has really ruinned my life and has cause me to give up everything I enjoy. Please if anyone else has had stomach trouble please let me know, I will go off asap!!!

Hi everyone - thank you so much for all your info regarding Yasmin. I had a bad experience 15 years ago on another BCP but now have been having trouble with recurrent ovarian cysts...so my OB suggested Yasmin. He claimed it was one of the ones that you don't bloat with, so I figured I'd give it a try. I had many of the symptoms everyone has complained of - severe headaches out of the blue at about week 3, wicked PMS and I never am affected, frequent palpitations, and the night before I decided to stop mid pack, I awoke out of a sound sleep with a gasp of air, as if I couldn't breath. That same week I also complained to my PCP about severe pain in my left calf and a feeling like it was dead and heavy. I am an RN and insisted they do a scan for DVT - it was negative thank goodness, but still all of this was a little worrisome. I made up my mind that I would never take this pill again. Only one month off the pill and my cyst symptoms are back. Oh well. Good luck to you all. I will be calling the number to report side effects and tell my OB.