Yasmin and sex drive

Got married about a couple years ago and went on Yasmin. First BC and as I've never had any BC did not know what to expect. I felt fine but now reading all these makes me realize that the weight gain, NO SEX DRIVE, NO VAGINAL MUCUS (have to use tons of lubrication), re-occurring thrush could be attributed to Yasmin.
I stopped Yasmin last year December as now ready for a baby, its been six months and still haven't conceived, still dry and use lubrication....and also have milky discharge from breast but not pregnant. Had an MRI scan and showed pituitary anenoma (not sure of the spelling) basically a small tumor of the pituitary glad that secretes too much prolactin in system caused by imbalance of hormones.
I'm only praying to God for healing and hoping that my body would go back to normal rather than start other medical treatment.
My advise.............. come off Yasmin, DO NOT TAKE ANY BC

ive been on Yasmin for about 3 years now because it clears up mah acne...but now i don't know if it's good for me. the first side effect ive noticed about a year after was that i get really burnt when i go out in the sun... and this is even with sunscreen! i get red rashes and my face gets swollen... at the time i thought that was just heat rash and didn't think much of it. now about 3 yrs later, i got a really really bad sunburn which resulted in huge blisters, and this scares me. I used sunscreen and my doctors said it couldn't have been just the sun so they are still trying to figure out what caused the burn...however after reading this thread im starting to think that Yasmin was the cause of it coz i never used to get sunburn before i started taking the pill... i grew up in a place where its Summer for almost a whole year so its really crazy to think that i would get burnt this much just for staying out in the sun! this past year ive also started gaining weight and now my sex drive is just gone... i thought it was me but i couldn't understand why that would be...now it all make sense...

I was put on Yasmin several years ago to control symptoms caused by ovarian cysts. I was told this was pretty much the only solution. Against my better judgment, I went on it. Things were ok for a few months but I started having mild side effects. I didn't feel like myself and my sex drive was definitely gone. Two years ago I had my thyroid levels checked and found out my TSH level was very high. After doing some research, I found that birth control can affect thyroid levels. I contacted my general doctor and he confirmed my findings. I took Synthroid to control my thyroid for two weeks and had to get off of it. I was like a zombie. I called my general doctor back and asked about stopping everything. He said to contact my ob/gyn and if she ok'd it, then it was fine by him. They agreed but also said there is no connection with the pill and thyroid. Red flag #1. After being off of the pill, my sex drive has not returned. It has been two years now. I asked my ob/gyn to do a hormone profile and they said I was too young to be having any problems like that. Red flag #2. I was tired all the time and had no energy at all. My general doctor gave me pills for depression (which the main side effect is extreme drowsiness). I was so disgusted at this point, I went to a Homeopathic doctor. I was told I had adrenal fatigue (which can be caused by the pill). I have been on a course of natural supplements for a few months and have felt better than I have in a long time. However, the sex drive is still gone and due to the pill, may never return. This has been a horrible strain on my relationship. It's upsetting when you know you should be feeling a certain way and you just don't. I have given up on traditional medicine and the idea of pills being given out without knowing long-term side effects and causing even greater problems. Ladies, if you are experiencing problems on or off the pill, see your doctor. If they offer no help, find another doctor! Also, after looking up Yasmin in a pharmaceutical book, it is listed as one of the WORST pills and listed under definite do not take. Use this pill at your own risk.

OMG!!! This is crazy! I was put on Yaz continuously to help with my heavy painful periods. About 3 days after starting it I went for some allergy testing. That night I started itching like crazy...all over my body. The next day I called the allergist to ask if this was a normal response and he told me that it wasn't from the testing and to take some Benadryl. The next day I started having these massive heart palpitations and feeling like I was going to pass out...still itching non-stop. This went on for a week until I finally called my GYN's office to see if it was possible that the pill could be causing this. They told me to stop it immediately as I could be having an allergic reaction. Within days of stopping the pill I was symptom free! Out of curiosity and desperation for relief of some of my period symptoms...I waited a cycle and started YAZ again. I have now been on it about a month. 2 weeks into it...the itching started again...but not as bad,..but now the heart palpitations are back...and worse! Yesterday my heart rate was 138 and lasted for a good 10 minutes. I have an appt, to see my primary in 2 days to just get checked and make sure that nothing else is going on. I can't believe that you all are experiencing this...I'm opting for the IUD now. Good Luck to all of you!

Yasmin is great! I am 30 yrs old and have been on Yasmin for 4 years and my periods are reduced to a light 5 days (they used to be 8-12 days and heavy with clots). I have no more menstrual cramping as I did before. I have not had any pimples for 4 years. I have lost 15 lbs since being on Yasmin, but I also attribute that to being physically active and eating correctly. No change in moods, sex drive is better, boobs are bigger, energy is great. I am normal weight, healthy and active. I have no medical problems or risk factors. I just want to inform any of you that had problems with DVT, blood clots, or stroke..that all birth control pills (any brand) carry an increased risk of thrombosis. That is not a side effect unique to Yasmin. You are 2-3 X more likely to have a thrombotic event on OCPs when compared to women who are not on OCPs. Risk of thrombosis related to pregnancy is actually MUCH higher, 5-10 X compared to women who are not pregnant or on OCPs. So I'd stick with my OCPs to avoid the nastier side effects of pregnancy..

I started taking Yasmin 3 weeks ago. And three days ago I woke up with this weird red rash all over my hands,feet,arms,legs,face and back of my neck. At first I thought that maybe it was something I ate but I haven't had anything unusual so thats not it then I thought that maybe its stress but thats not it either..... Anyway I decided to do a google search to see if maybe it was the Yasmin.. and right away there were pages and pages of people complaining about horrible red itchy rash so I'm stopping this medicine asap... not only did i get a rash but its made my anxiety 10 times worse and made me break out with acne (which has never been this bad). I'm super dizzy and lightheaded everyday. I've been spotting everyday since I started Yasmin not to mention I got a horrible yeast infection... and my husband is very unhappy because I have absolutely NO SEX DRIVE and I'm so MOODY..... Its almost like being pregnant again so I'm totally unhappy I really really hope that the makers of this medicine reevaluate this birth control and either takes it off the market or change the side effects..... thank you for your time and good luck......

hey everyone,

Im so glad that I found this forum and that im not the only one feeling like this. I have been on Yasmin now for about 3 years and am coming off it immediately after reading that so many people are having the same side effects. I initially began Yasmin after I had found fibroadenomas in my breast and had to have them removed, and also bad stomach cramps. Taking Yasmin was to regulate my hormones and stop the lumps and cramps. It began really good for me, skin cleared up, no weight gain, and no other side effects. But in the last year it has been a real problem for me and there is nothing else in my lifestyle that would suggests otherwise. I have always had really thick hair and I have lost an incredible amount to the point people are noticing (im so devastated bout this particular side effect as every knew me for my thick straight hair), my heart has irregular palpitations, im badly short of breathe all the time to the point im gasping for air with an open mouth and puffed out just climbing stairs when im not even a smoker, I have a lowered sex drive and really bad lubrication which is a real problem. My attitude has changed and im not my usual easy going self and always looking for an issue to pick at.
I have another month and a half worth but im not going to continue with it. I should have listened to my body earlier or at least known how it has effected so many other people.

I understand that it works really well for some people but it seems to not work for just as more people, which makes me wonder why it is so readily pushed onto patients by doctors when there should be clear warnings. The attractive point for me when my doctor suggested Yasmin was that it had been tested to have NO side effects......yeh ok!

I started taking Yasmin 3-4 weeks ago and within the first few days I started having pregnancy symptoms; breast tenderness, fatigue, nausea. What's worse is that my sex drive is gone and I feel angry all the time! I'll definitely be getting off of this pill soon! Does anyone have any recommendations for a different pill???

Side Effects: hair loss, mood swings, decline in sex drive, headaches

Thank God for this site! I started taking Yaz around June 2008. I recently decided to stop taking the pill and had a tubal ligation. Around October 2008, I noticed that my hair in the mid-top was thinning. I've always had very thick hair. It could have actually started before then, but I didn't notice it until then. Now, I have a small bald spot in the front of my head which is very hard to cover up. I stopped the pill in April 2009. In addition to hair loss/thinning, my sex drive declined, I was moody, had headaches, extremely tired, and always had an "attitude". I hope the bald spots do not continue.

I was on Yaz for almost 2 years. Lost weight, no problems with my skin, no change in sex drive. I felt like an absolutely normal person, but with shorter periods. Every other birth control pill I have taken has made me gain weight or become moody, but Yaz made me feel like I wasn't on a pill at all! My period only lasted about 3 days when I was on my last pill pack...I was part of a study on it so I was getting it for free...my only regret is that it's so expensive, because it's so much better than anything I've ever taken, and now that I'm not in the study I can't afford it anymore!

I am really worried! I have taken Yasmin for a year until my doctor switch me to Yaz and Ive been taking that for two years. So for 3 years I have been taken a pill that now has a lawsuit! I have been getting these side effects as well; the tiredness, the vomiting (when my brother and I used to live together, we would eat the same things and sometimes I wont throw it up later, yet he would be fine) I cry a lot! i mean alot! I had people tell me that I may be Bipolar and so I didn't think that these side effects had anything to do with the birth control I have been using for over 3 years. I also had my gallbladder taken out last year and the doctors told me they didn't know why at my age, my gallbladder decided to fail on me. I also have been getting really weird headache on the right bottom back of my head (light a hard tight headache) and now that someone has pointed out nightmares, I have also noticed that since ive been taking yaz i have also been having these weird bizarre dreams every other night or so. again didn't know that this was due to the pill, i thought it was my lack of rest. I also have been experiencing this weird flashing dot in my right eye that has been going on for a year and a half now. Im really worried that these side effects are due to this pill. I don't have a sex drive neither, as a matter of fact, i haven't had sex in two years! I also have that funny 'fluid' feeling in my ears and its been extremely hard to concentrate these past years. Im really worried, I am going to stop taking yaz after this pack is over.

For all of you that has had problems with Yasmin or Yaz, I'm sincerely sorry. I'm really curious though to all of you, has anyone that read the leaflet that comes with the birth control box, have any problems? If you read that it may increase potassium which may cause serious heart and health problems so it would be good to get your potassium level checked before taking it. Side effects usually go away after 2-3months, has anyone have problems longer than that and ended up finding out what was the problem? I just wanted to know because my girlfriend is about to take it...and I wanted to know if one knew about the effects of this pill, and what precautions they had taken. Okay, thank you.

I think Yasmin is great. I understand, though, that not everyone is going to react the same way to a certain birth control pill. I have been on some that have made me pretty close to impossible to live with. I do, however, have a problem reading about all these so-called side effects of Yasmin that can be attributed to something else.

For one, Caffeine. Birth control slows the metabolism of caffeine in our bodies, making that one cup have a much stronger effect on our bodies. If you drink caffeine daily, look at the symptoms of too much caffeine, as that usually amount before Yasmin can now be an overdose for your body.

Symptoms of too much caffeine:
-Jitteriness
-Difficulty sleeping
-Headaches
-Anxiety
-Flushed face
-Nausea
-Accelerated heartbeat
-Increase Blood Pressure
Etc. (look up in google more if you want)

So if you experience any of those symptoms on Yasmin and drink caffeine of some kind, try cutting back first. It might not be the Yasmin. Any birth control will increase the effects of caffeine on your body. (Some possibly more than others)

Secondly, look at how much water you are drinking. Yasmin has a diuretic in it, causing our bodies to lose more water. Are you drinking enough to replenish what is lost?
Symptoms of dehydration include:
-dry mouth
-the eyes stop making tears
-sweating may stop
-muscle cramps
-nausea and vomiting
-lightheadedness (especially when standing).
-The body tries to maintain cardiac output (the amount of blood that is pumped by the heart to the body); and if the amount of fluid in the intravascular space is decreased, the body has to increase the heart rate, which causes blood vessels to constrict to maintain blood pressure.

Seriously, if you are thirsty, don't reach for the soda. Grab some water. It might be what you need.

So, again, I know, not every birth control will work the same for everyone, but at least look at what you are doing first to see if it's you or the birth control causing the problems. Don't blame Yasmin for giving you anxiety when it could easily just be the amount of coffee that you drink.

If you've cut back on caffeine (for more than one day now) and been drinking more water and you still have problems, switch, by all means. But make sure it's not something else first before blaming the birth control.

I am three weeks into my first pack of pills, and today I stopped taking them because of the severe headaches I have been experiencing. I rarely get headaches, and when I do I can treat them with advil....but three weeks ago (right after I started my first pack) I had a headache that lasted for three days. I thought I had a sinus infection, the headache was behind my eyeballs and throughout my forehead and temples. The headache went away but came back two days ago, and I still have it now. I am convinced it is from Yaz. I have not been able to find a birth control pill that doesn't make me absolutely psycho, and I was hoping Yaz would be the pill to work for me. I never experienced headaches from the other pills I was on, but these headaches are so severe and last for so long that I know it's more then just a common headache. I hope they go away soon...this pill is scary!
And on I side note I also noticed I have NO sex drive...but that happened with the other birth control pills I was on too.

ive only been on Yasmin for a week...after switching from alesse. im experiencing constipation...and i feel as though ive lost some weight. i know both are caused from the diuretic but other than increasing your fiber intake and the amount of fluid consumption...and taking a laxative are there any other suggestions?

the whole sex drive decreasing side effect worries me...one other individual said this would happen down the road if you don't have it now. what causes it?

I'm 27 years old, I suffered from huge 8 cm endometriosis on my right ovary & i had surgery to remove the endometriosis but my ovary was saved thanks god, I've been on marvelon for about a year then I took 4 shots of Decapeptil, I won't mention the side effects of both mentioned and how bad i really felt, & now after 2 years of my operation & the check ups each 5 months, here i am suffering from another endometriosis 3 cm size but this time on my left ovary & my dr. advised me to follow Yasmin bcp, it's my 1st month, i had very light period & i felt much better but i'm spotting since i started the pills & i'm depressed, with no sex drive, insomnia, no weight gain & no headaches but my breast size increases into double & it looks like they are huge fake breasts even though i'm still slim, i'm having sharp pain in my breast also, and neck cramps, I feel always sleepy & pessimist about everything :(

I have been on Yasmin now since November. I have not experienced any of the scary side effects that most of the women here have suffered. In fact Yasmin was a lifesaver for me. I suffered from terrible cramps before and was not on any type of birth control. After trying Yasmin my first period was cramp free. My breasts have grown in size and my sex drive has actually increased, not decreased. I guess different people have different reactions to any type of medication but I am enjoying Yasmin. It's the perfect type of birth control for me definitely.

I posted a story on January 16 about my 16 year old daughter who turned out to have Factor V Leiden. She went on Yaz and nearly died a few weeks later. Factor V Leiden really is very common. Especially if you have Scandinavian blood or red hair. But it affects all races and ethnicities at lower levels. If you want to read more, the New York Times had a good article on February 24, 2008. It was about the decision whether to get a genetic test before going on birth control. B. A.

I can't believe I found this info, two days ago I was ready to make an appt with my Dr for some type of anti-depressant, I have never been depressed before so I started looking online at different meds, and I found all these sites about Yasmin. About 10 months ago I started taking Yasmin after I gave birth to my second child. Every month got worse and I really am changing into a totally different person, crazy (sad, numb, mean, paranoid ext..) No sex drive, vision problems. I kept waiting to be happy again. Thanks to all the women who have shared these experiences, I stopped taking this pill yesterday and I am finally excited about having control over myself again.

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

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

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

I am brand new to this sight and have been on the generic for Yasmin-Ocella for almost 2 years and have about had it. I have chest tightness and am so moody sometimes that I start screaming at the kids for no reason and then break down in tears because of the way I have treated them. I am exhausted all of the time, I do have 2 small kids (5 & 2 1/2) but even when I do get 8-10 hours of sleep I feel drained. Like a depression. As I type this I am having the chest tightness. Only happens during the first week of a new pack. My OBGYN is having me skip the last week of the pack-which is when I feel like 100% my old self-no exhaustion, no moodiness etc &the only week that I have ANY sex drive too-because she thinks I have a torsion ovary. I will see what she says on the 29th but I want off of these pills... What is the point if you feel like crap, can't breathe and have NO drive what so ever!

I've been on Yasmin/Ocella for 2 years, and the other week I had two panic attacks, like my body suddenly felt achey, trembly, as if I couldn't breathe, my throat and chest were constricting. After a long time, both passed, but since then I constantly have felt a tightness under my jaw, lump in my throat, and chest tightness on and off. My doctor told me I was just experiencing anxiety but now I think it may be Yasmin, even though I never had problems until now. Sometimes the skin on my throat feels itchy/tingly in a subtle way. If anyone has had these experiences with the throat & chest on Yasmin, I'd like to know because I'm hoping the problem is this.

I started taking Yasmin about 5 years ago. At first, I experienced a little nausea as my body got used to the drug, but after the first few months I was fine. Fine until about a year and a half ago. In the past year and a half, I've had absolutely NO sex drive, and terrible PMS. I swear I have PMS symptoms 3 weeks out of the month. It's miserable. I'm always moody and get aggravated at the smallest things. VERY unlike me. I also feel bloated a lot of the time. I work out regularly and eat healthy, so I know the bloating is not caused by eating badly. My doctor assures me my problems are with my birth control. I started a new birth control yesterday, so I hope it works! The main thing to remember is that different birth controls work differently for different people, and your body also changes through the years. What worked for you at one time, may not work for you 5 years later. This is why it's very important to communicate your problems to your doctor so he/she knows exactly what you're experiencing and can help you. While diagnosing yourself online can be helpful, it's not as good as expressing your concerns to your doctor.

I had been on Yaz for almost a year. I have tried EVERYTHING!!! I went to Yaz after trying even the Nuvaring. It seemed like everything from regular Ortho was too strong and the ring was too little. I've been on birth control since I was 17 (now I'm 26) and have tried it all. I mainly stayed on because of cramping and digestive trouble I used to experience around my period. For about 3 months Yaz was great- no mood swings, my cramp pain was cut in half, and my sex drive lost on the ring came back. However, after about the 5th month, I started to notice the same side effects as other posters; headaches, night sweats, fatigue, numbness in my legs, moodiness, zero libido, and the carpal tunnel in my wrists would increase in pain by 10 fold, etc. In fact, it was getting so bad, that my husband was getting annoyed with me saying I was always tired even though I would sleep 8 hours and not have any other outside stressors impacting my sleep patterns. We almost divorced over the stupid, but outrageous, fights I would pick for no reason at all! I would get so irritated at the smallest thing. It was like a switch would flip and I couldn't turn it off! I couldn't figure out why I was so fatigued- I exercise and eat right (I'm a nutritionist)and have played sports for years!. The depressing feelings bothered me because I know that eating right and exercising keeps serotonin levels at an even keel- that's what I do for a living! Mine were way off for no reason! It got to the point that my friends noticed a huge change in my personality- I used to be the life of the party, and now I would rather stay in instead of go out and socialize with my best friends and husband! Thank you for writing these blogs. I can't wait to feel normal again! I'd rather deal with the cramps or take some homeopathic remedy than deal with this horrible drug. There is a great article on cnn.com about birth control pills and libido/ side effects. Just search for "the pill" and the article should come up.

I have been on Yasmin for 2 1/2 years and not until about in the past year, I have had the worst mood swings. Like to the point where I don't even know who I am. I get so crabby and bitchy and I don't want to be and have to reason to be.
I need to switch because it is getting worse. I didn't really think it was my birth control until I did some research. Now I know it is for sure the problem.
I have had suicidal thoughts twice in the past year...for no reason! And then all of a sudden I snap out of it. I get really depressed and I don't know why. It happens every like 3 months. Its so weird. I'm a really happy person but this pill is ruining everything. Oh and also within the past year, my sex drive has gone down about 75%, its horrible!!!!!

Um I started taking Yasmin a month before I went to college, so I've been on it for about 2ish years now. I would say I have a lower sex drive, but I don't know if it's birth control or just me getting a little older. Other than that no problems, but I also started getting horrible hangovers when I started college too, which didn't ever happen before. I was wondering if anyone had notice that Yasmin and alcohol may cause severe stomach issues or if it just means as I got older my hangovers got WAYYYYY worse. I mean it's not just a normal hangover, my stomach hurts so bad I can't get out of bed. And it's not because I started drinking more in college, I would say I easily drink less now and no matter if I have 2 drinks or 10 I feel the exact same.

I haven't yet started Yasmin but I was taking Yaz for a few months and have had my OBGYN switch me to the lower dose of hormone, Yasmin, because I was literally having my period every 2 weeks! And this wasn't just spotting-this was a full blown period! My skin had remained fairly clear and I don't get nearly as many breakouts as I used to. However, I am on an antibiotic and wash my face with benzoyl peroxide and use a cream so that could be why my skin is clearing up but I think Yaz contributed. I noticed with Yaz that I wasn't nearly as emotional and crazy as when I took Ortho Tri Cyclen low. But once I started getting a heavy cycle (cramps included) with Yaz, I switched to Yasmin so we'll see how that goes. I noticed on Yaz I still got cramps but they weren't unbearable and usually only lasted the first day of my period. I also tend to get mild yeast infections that I attribute to birth control but no headaches like others were getting and my sex drive has increased or decreased-it's about the same. Yasmin is about $10.00 cheaper on my insurance than Yaz so that's another plus. I can't say much about Yasmin right now but I know Yaz caused bi-weekly periods and I definitely wanted to eat everything in sight so, because I was eating and had low energy and did not want to work out, I obviously gained a few lbs but nothing too obvious. Maybe like 2 or 3lbs. Mostly there is bloating in my stomach. My breasts arent tender though like others get and I didn't have stomach pains or constipation with Yaz. Compared to Ortho Tri Cyclen lo, Yaz was a miracle pill. If not for the bi-weekly periods due to the high levels of hormes, I wouldn't have switched to Yasmin.

I have been on yasmin for 11days. My doctor switched me form yaz to yasmin because of breakthrough bleeding. I have experienced depression, crying for no reason, feeling really bloated and fat and lethargic. Very fatigued. And my sex drive has decreased.
My doctor is going to change me to loestrin to see if that works better.

i personally have had the best experience with my Yasmin birth control. I have been on it for 5 years now. Before Yasmin I was a wreck.Before i ever took any birth control i had my period twice a month, super heavy bleeding,10 days,and cramps so bad I would pass out. I even bled for 5 months straight on the Depoprovera shot. I found all of the tricyclic pills make me crazy and over emotional. I have tried so many different kinds of pills and birth control all with the result of bleeding for months on end and finally my doctor recommended Yasmin and I have been completely happy with it. I have not gained weight, I do not get migraines (and i did with other birth control pills), I am much more emotionally stable (although I will never be a hundred percent sane, but I blame genetics for that one) I have never gotten pregnant, I have not suffered any gastrointestinal side effects, I finally have regular 7 day periods and my cramps are less horrible, my skin has cleared up, i have a perfectly healthy if not over active sex drive, my breast are not particularly tender ever, I don't get any more yeast infections than before, basically it is my saving grace in my opinion. I must also add to this that I did stop taking Yasmin once for 5 months in these 5 years just to see how I am without BC and nothing crazy happened. My periods were heavier, i had worse cramps, my skin broke out. I expected all of that to happen. A month after getting back on Yasmin I was back to my happy ol self again. One last thing is that I did try the Ocello generic version of Yasmin and it was all bad for me. I once again bled for 2 months even though I only took it for two weeks, and i went completely nutso overemotional chick. Long story short, everyone is built differently, not every BC will be the right one for you. Try some different ones out. If you are on a pill and it is not doing the right things for you then switch it instead of taking it for 2 years and then blogging about how miserable it makes you. I will leave you with a wonderful quote from I don't know who but I live for this saying "More orgasms, fewer kids, copulate, don't populate!" HOORAY

i started Yasmin on Monday and frankly I'm done with them. My mood is horrible, I feel depressed. I can't eat without feeling sick, my stomach pains were so bad I couldn't even stand having any pressure on it, and no sex drive at all. I don't want to do anything and nothing seems to make me happy. The only thing that was an up side to this pill was the weight loss but thats probably do to the fact that I can barely eat without feeling it's coming back up.

I have been on Yasmin since April of this year, 2008. My doctor put me on Yasmin because of a hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS. At first, all I noticed was my periods had become regular and my skin had cleared up. About 4-6 weeks later, I started experiencing EXTREME pain in my right breast. After the onset of the pain, just my right breast became enlarged. A few weeks later I started having chest/heart pains at random times. It started occurring when I would run and that made me really scared. I had the feeling of having a heavy rock on my chest and wasn't able to get a real breath. After an EKG my doctor confirmed that my heart was healthy. Here is a list of some of the other side effects that I noticed: no sex drive, weight gain, TIREDNESS, forgetfulness, cramps in my legs, but only while sleeping, extreme thirst.

I am so grateful that I found this website. It's just awful to hear some many other women complaining of the same symptoms.

Hi.
I was on Yasmin for about 9 months and stopped taking it about a year ago. I had been on a few other pills in the past while in college and always had problems. When I was given Yasmin it was after an abortion and my doctor and I agreed that maybe it was time to give Birth Control one more chance. Since I had had such a bad time with the pill in the past we went with a low dosage (Yasmin).
I have always had great skin but around 22 I started to have adult acne... mostly attributed to the high level of stress I am always under with work and all. Yasmin worked great in getting my skin back on track, my periods were definitely shorter and lighter. I have always been prone to terrible cramps and heavy bleeding. The pill was great for the first two months or so. Soon I started to notice that I was gaining wait despite the fact that I eat really well and really don't eat more than I ever did before. I had 0 sex drive to the point that I started finding ways to avoid having sex with my boyfriend....at one point we did not have sex for 2.5 months. He was an angel and never really complained. But I started to have a problem with it. And it seemed I had a problem with just about everything. I was overly emotional and having rage fits and would just pick fights with him and anyone I could get my hands on. I didn't develop out of the blue migraines.... but my headaches became more severe and frequent. While I was feeling this way I knew it was irrational and unprovoked and made little to no sense but I just couldn't stop. I felt like it wasn't me anymore. I didn't understand the things that I was feeling. I was reacting and behaving in a way that was just uncharacteristic of me. And then I also started spotting every month towards the end.
One day I just decided... I had to stop right away. But I was worried about going off of the pill. I switched to something else and that switch made me feel even worst and I just couldn't deal anymore. I had to be free of these awful feelings.
At first I felt better right away. My period was still lighter and less painful than it had been before Yasmin. It was as if I had never been on Yasmin at all. I lost 15 pounds right away and have kept them off.
About three months after I stopped my periods became painful again (I expected this would eventually return).... but worst... I started getting my periods really late. In June it was two weeks late. I took so many pregnancy tests that all were negative but still my period would not come. I called my doctor and she said it was probably the heat. Apparently this happens to some women in the summer when its too hot. But I am indoors all day at work so it just didn't make sense. Then July... same thing... two weeks late.... August same thing. but exactly two weeks. ( I always get it on a Sunday after being on the pill)
Then September... it was only a week late so I thought Oh! maybe I am getting back on track. mind you this whole time I am ovulating on time... so I am PMSing for a really long time. Then October roles around and I'm two weeks late again... and November only a week and four days late... got it on a Thursday night out with friends.
Now I don't know if this has anything at all to do with the fact that I was on Yasmin. It might be totally unrelated.. but since no one had mentioned it I just wanted to ask if anyone had experienced anything like it?

I posted a while back about the symptoms I was experiencing from Yasmin. Well, I've been off of the drug for just about a month now. My libido has DRASTICALLY improved, my moods are better, and I am getting along with my boyfriend like I haven't in a long time.

The only problem I'm now having is that my weight is continually creeping up. I have been very busy with various things for the past few months (searching for and finding a new job & new apartment in a different state, going on a week-long food-filled vacation, packing, moving, unpacking etc etc). I thought that I was up a few lbs (3) as a result of being very busy and not having as much time to commit to exercise and eating healthy. Don't get me wrong, I have still been exercising and eating healthy, I just haven't been able to commit quite as much time as normal to these things.

In the past two weeks I have gotten back into my old routine and have been doing 60 minutes of cardio approximately 5 days/week and really not eating very much. Most days I have eaten a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and not been hungry until dinner. Since I've gotten back into this routine I have done nothing but gain MORE weight. Additionally, I have absolutely no appetite. My stomach looks poochy and my pants are getting tighter.

I have been able to keep my weight in the same range (127-129) since I started running, 4 years ago. It would VERY occasionally creep up to MAYBE 131, but I haven't seen a higher number than that until now. I feel that I literally LOOK at food and gain a pound.

Has anyone else experienced this? Could it be that my hormones are just adjusting? Honestly, I'd almost rather deal with the side effects of Yasmin than deal with gaining weight as a result of not being on it.

I have been on Yasmin for about 5 years. I have never had an issue. I am worried that everyone on this site is making Yasmin look bad. You all need to remember that not everything will work for every person, everyones hormones are different to begin with so when you add the pill to these different levels of hormones you will get different side effects. To the people with low sex drive, did you perhaps think that this could be due to depression or the aging process? Many women suffer from low sex drive, those on and off the pill. Your sex drive will not be consistent throughout life, mine dropped in my early 20s and now is rising again, it may drop again, it can also be due to stress. All that said if you're suffering side effects that you think are attributed to Yasmin, or any other pill, stop taking it! Not everyone's body will handle it.

I am at the end of my first month on this pill. Things seemed fine until 3 days ago when I got a migraine (I never get headaches) and it has lasted for 3 days making it so difficult to look after my children or get the simplest things done. I started looking up side effects and found this site. I realised that this month I had also had thrush, no sex drive at all and seem to be very cold in relation to other people. I suffer from PMDD and this is my second pill in attempt to make the symptoms easier to manage. Without the pill I am over emotional, cry a lot, have severe mood swings and painful and heavy bleeding each month. With this in mind I am still going to come off Yasmin right now. I do not want to mess things up even more. I have been concerned about the ingredients of the pill too - I am a vegan and there is no birth control pills which do not contain lactose or animal ingredients so I think I must go back to the diapham for birth control (condoms are just awful!). it is frightening how easily all these pills are prescribed. I was on dianette when I was 16 to combat the same PMDD and when I came off it five years later didn't have a period for a year at which time I discovered I had an ovarian cyst and a tumor, both of which had to be removed. Was told I probably couldn't have kids but thankfully five years later (five years of trying to conceive) I had our first and then 10 months after that fell pregnant with our second). I can't believe I was stupid enough to go back on any pill but my PMDD is difficult to manage and I was at my wits end but after just a month I know I have to come off it. For good this time. My life is to valuable to me to mess up with this rubbish.

I have been on Yasmin for 2yrs. now. I went to my doctor recently to check my thyroid out because I've been experiencing hair lose.My thyroid is normal and now I'm thinking about getting off the pill. I'm only 24yrs.old I work out regularly and eat healthy so I know it has nothing to do with my life style.It also seems like my sex drive is not where it should be.

I just finished my first month and so far I have no complaints. My period came regularly and lighter which was awesome! I have lost 4 lbs...however I am eating fewer calories so I don't know if the pill has anything to do with that. My sex drive is normal, actually I think my G spot increased in size if that's possible lol. So far so good. No stomach issues either. I guess every pill is different. I have been on 3 others and the one I don't recommend is ortho tri cyclin low. it was great for 6 months then made me have severe mood swings and spotting.

I am also wondering if my sex drive will come back. For those who went off Yasmin, did your sex drive come back? I am really scared it won't.

I am so happy I read this site today. I started Yasmin about 6 months ago and heard from the doctors nothing except good things. I was on tricylcen 2 years prior but wanted to try something new because I found that I gain weight while i was on tricyclen so the doctor suggested Yasmin. It wasn't until I read this site that everything I am experiencing was due to Yasmin.

Probably the biggest side effect was the loss of my sex drive and depression. My sex drive was always high and then within 3 months it was completely gone and it really scared me that is was gone for good and I am only 26. I am so happy to know that this could be the reason because this was starting to put a real strain on my relationship with my boyfriend

I didn't know about it giving you larger boobs, but it makes sense now since I can't fit my bras anymore.

Does anyone has any suggestions of what to do next. Obviously I am going off it once I am done this month, but what pill would you suggest I take?

Hello everyone,

I have been feeling certain things lately so I thought "let's see what Google thinks it is". I typed in "bloated, tired, swollen legs, increased breast size" and the first site that pops up is this website. I actually thought I might be pregnant because and was surprised to see "Yasmin Side Effects" instead of "signs of pregnancy". I have taken Yasmin for almost 7 straight years. I was off it for 1 summer and probably one other month total in that whole time. I haven't really noticed any huge changes until recently and, like I said, it hadn't even crossed my mind that the things I was feeling could be from Yasmin. First of all, my breast won't stop growing and are so, so sore. I actually just bought my first D bra tonight, after being a C since probably my Junior year of high school. My legs and specifically my calves tend to feel extremely tight and stretched lately. I thought this was from running & exercise in general, yet I've exercised intensely & frequently for 4 years and this is a recent feeling for me. I have noticed for about a year that spider veins have started appearing on my legs. I thought I was just inheriting this from my mother, who has a lot of spider/varicose veins. My sex drive has definitely decreased significantly over the years I've been on Yasmin, but again, I thought this was normal or "just me". I go through periods where I have quite an appetite and can eat bad foods yet not gain weight. Then I go through periods when I seem to have the same eating patterns as normal and I'm exercising normally as well, yet I always feel bloated and fat. Plus, I have no appetite during these times. I also go through cycles where I have horrible stomach issues (I get a "bubbly" feeling, have had really bad cramps on occasion). I thought this was a side effect of coffee but now I'm wondering...

I get my period next week and then I think I'll stop taking Yasmin to see if any of these problems subside. Does anyone know any type of birth control that doesn't cause side effects?

Good luck to everyone!

Funny...Me and my Boyfriend of 3 years just had this big heart to heart today trying to figure out...WHERE MY SEX DRIVE WENT???? So we put two and two together in the time frame is seemed to have been "lost" in, and we came up with YAZ. Thats not why I ended up on this site at 1am though...

As we were lying in bed, I got sudden mild chest pains in my left side and my left arm went numb. All I have ever known about these symptoms is that you are having a heart attack! As I get outta bed Travis says "what are you googling?" Him knowing that I am a hypercondreact!

I had decided today to stop taking the pill not willing to risk my wonderful sex life and relationship. I said goodbye to my wonderful FULL C breasts :( I will keep you posted on my after side effects! Good luck to you brave women!!!

Wow. I found this site after looking up causes for lack of sex drive. I've been on Yasmin for 6 years, but never thought for a minute it had anything to do with the problems I've been having. Loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness, hair loss, mood swings (partners always gets the brunt of those), repeated bouts of chest pains (diagnosed with pleurisy recently, don't know if there is a link).

I had got to the point that I thought this is just the way I am, it never occurred to me that something else could be causing this. I can't even remember what it's like to be normal.

I already have 2 kids and don't want any more at the moment so I don't know what the solution is. Well, I haven't wanted sex for the last few years so i suppose the bloody thing has done its job in that way!

I'm just shocked, this has been a real wake up call. I'm stopping taking the evil little things as of now.

I am 18 years old and ive been taking Yasmin for about 2 years, and tonight i came across all of these stories of bad experiences.
after putting together the pieces, ive realized that im not crazy after all! i have had every symptom out there for this pill except high blood pressure and nausea.
i used to be 135 pounds before i got on this pill, and now i am 160 pounds.
i find myself crying all the time, im surprised my boyfriend can put up with it.
i have no energy, all i want to do is sleep. i get sharp pains behind my eyes that cause me to shift them to find a spot where it wont hurt. i have no sex drive at all. i constantly feel depressed and sometimes don't want to live. im so tired of feeling this way.
the only good thing that happened for me was that my skin had cleared up tremendously!
and now i want to just stop and quit this pill right now! im just afraid my acne will come back.
this pill should not be given to women, all of these stories show great reasons on why its harmful.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PILL!! ITS NOT WORTH IT.
im glad i found all this out before it was too late.
my boyfriend wants me to finish the rest of my pill pack but i just want to stop right now.
i don't know what to do.
if i continue taking this pill for the rest of the pack i will feel worse about it each day knowing its harming my body and life.
help.

Hi, I have been on Yasmin for 2 years now. I didn't like what it was doing to me and so went off it. I didn't get back on it for 7 months, my reason for getting back on it, my PERIODS STOPPED for the whole 7 months I didn't take the pill. I really don't know what to do. If I get off it my period stops, if I don't Im cranky, irritable, low and hardly have any sex drive. The doctors just say its normal. I don't even want to see the doctor anymore sice they don't do anything about it. Ive had it

Hi everyone.Ive been on Yasmin now for 10months due to really bad heavy painful periods.I wasn't at all happy about going on it as i have tried different ones in the past and gained a lot of weight, but as this was my last chance in trying something to stop the bad periods or get pregnant as I wasn't in the right place to do that I had to give in and try it.I was told that I wouldn't gain that much weight,just a couple of pounds.But i have put so much weight on.About a stone in weight.And i work out 3/5days a week.And it doesn't matter how hard I try I cant seem to shift the weight which is really upsetting.I decided today that i would do some research on it as i know somethings not right with my body.My boobs have grown so much bigger and are so very much painful.My legs are swollen,my calf muscles really hurt when i exercise.As I use to be a dancer I have always had good legs muscles and ive always exercises so I knew it wasn't because of that.I became very moody,tired,insomnia,dizzy,head aches which I hardly ever got before and very snappish.I didn't want 2 do anything.I became very depressed about my body and life in general.Crying all the time.My doctor put me on anti-depressants and even though ive chilled out a lot more,everything else remains the same.You just know your own body,and ive known for sometime that taking this pill wasn't doing me any good.It may have stopped the painful heavy periods but at what cost!!! To have even more problems then you had before.I was reashured by my doctor who may I add was a gynecologist for 18years,told me it was the best one and hardly any side effects.Yeah right what a frigging joke.Im so unhappy about my self,and my life.Oh and you guest it,no sex drive.This pill has to be taken off the market.They haven't a clue how bad this is and what effect and long term damages its doing to us women.As im going to see my G.P tomorrow im going to be taken off it.Im so happy I found this web site.I thought I was going mad,and had a weird body.I just hope that when I do come off it that I don't go back to the bad heavy painful periods as it got to the point that i was on the floor and couldn't get up I was in that much pain that I couldn't take it anymore.I think thats why i have stayed on it for so long as im afraid of going threw all that pain again.So if anybody else out there reading this knows if theres any other way to stop it from happening again without taking the pill or having the injection or coil put in, please write back to me and let me know.
Samantha Blake from Blackpool.aged 24.

I was put on Yasmin not for birth control but for the beginning of fertility treatments. I was on Yasmin only 1 months. After about 2 days I started getting symptoms. I called the Pharmacist and my fertility doctor and they both told me the pill wasn't the culprit. But after the 20th day I just couldn't take it anymore I went off of it. After starting Yasmin I had TERRIBLE Panic attacks, Anxiety ( still have to this day two months later), Heart Palpitations, leg cramps, boobs hurt, breathing trouble ( still to this day), HORRIBLE thoughts, adrenaline rushes all hours of the day, tingling in my hands and feet, my mind feels fuzzy, no appetite, no sex drive, depression, crying fits for hours, I felt like i was going insane.... You name it I had it. I stopped the pill two months ago and I still have the horrible anxiety/attacks, feel like i cant breath properly, OCD about my breathing.

I went to the hospital and got checked for blood clots in my lungs, legs, Asthma test, EKG, blood tested, was put on heart monitor all came back normal. I have started seeing a therapist, on depression meds and none of it is working. I feel like this pill has ruined my life and i wasn't even trying to stop life i was trying to help create it.

Here i am two months after stopping the pill and yes some of the stuff has went away but i still suffer with Anxiety from the time i wake up in the morning till the time I go to bed at night. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. My head is getting a little clearer and I am not as depressed as before. But I am just praying that this anxiety goes away. I have NEVER been a person who can't handle stress or gets anxiety/panic attacks and since it started it hasn't stopped. I am so very weak, muscles ache so much which i think is from the anxiety attacks and the muscles tightening.

So if you have this... you are not alone! I am suffering with it everyday. It is so debilitating I cant do much. Has anyone else had this months after stopping Yasmin?

Wow.....how horrible to hear about your experiences, but I too am glad I found you and want to share my own experiences as well. Was using natural family planning for birth control and it was going great, then all of the sudden, started bleeding frequently and heavily, so my gyn put me on it to regulate the hormonal imbalance or possible endo and I have been a mess....people have noticed I'm really anxious and I am a pretty laid back person, I am irritable, depressed, cannot sleep, decreased sex drive, sore and stiff, and had several incidents of crushing pain in chest and numbness and tingling in my arms. The weight gain is horrible, I just got back from getting professional pictures done and itr was so evident that my face is so round and puffy and I cannot wear a lot of my clothing now. I have only been on it two months, but quit taking it a few days ago and am calling the doc tomorrow to get her advice. This pill is the worst birth control I have ever used-and I've tried several kinds......

I posted about a year and a half ago about how Yasmin was doing all the things described by many. Lost my hair....zero sex drive...and if we DID have sex...It was the most painful experience ever....heart palpitations.....severe anxiety attacks for the first time ever in my life...and even suicidal feelings. I got off of it as I quickly realized I was essentially poisoning myself with this awful drug. And got a non hormonal IUD. The IUD has been excellent. But I must say...I have never truly stopped getting the panic attacks. They still come and go. I've tried detox teas....even seeing a therapist to help with it. I'm not on any anti anxiety drugs...I've been meditating and doing yoga to help with it. But honestly.....I wonder sometimes if I'll ever get my pre-Yasmin body back. :(

I have been taking Yasmin for a year now and have gained 10lbs. The worst side effect for me is my stomach has doubled in size and feels so bloated all the time. My face has also bloated. I suffer headaches and feel depressed all the time about the way I look when a year before I felt great before starting this pill. I meet my new boyfriend when I had just started this pill and I feel so embarrassed as my sex drive vanished completely. Sometimes I have hurt him after sex because I am so dry down there. I am angry all the time over silly things and I am horrible to my poor boyfriend. I could never understand what was wrong with me. I also suffer heart heart plantations and it wakes me up from my sleep, its really frightening. After reading all these comments I stopped taking my pill two days ago 16th September, fingers crossed I can lose some of this water retention

I was on Yasmin for about 4 years, then stopped due to no health insurance (couldn't afford it anymore). I was off Yasmin for 4 months, started it up again now that I have a new job, and man- I HATE being back on this pill. Now that my body had a break, I can tell what this pill does/did- I've taken about nine pills and have already called my doc to go right back in and get a Paraguard IUD, because now that I know what "normal" feels like there is no way I can go back to this pill! Extremely tired again/feel run down all the time (since day 2 back on), nauseous (continual), dry eyes/vagina (after 2-3 days back on), sex drive ebbing off again (after nine days back on)... also strange when I read people's posts, my knees/hip used to crack (pop) all the time and it's started up again within one week of this damn pill. A big clump of my hair fell out yesterday too!!! I can only tell you how I FEEL- there is something NOT right in my body with Yasmin back in the mix. I felt awesome for four months sans pill (sex drive came back with a vengeance, forgot how it felt to feel aroused, feel lubricated, feel energy, feel happy go lucky) then Yasmin- now this crap has got to go!!! I'm so turned off by this eye-opener (thankful though, at least now I know what I put myself through for four years). I'll go with an IUD to avoid hormones from now on. Trust yourselves ladies, if it doesn't feel right, it might be bad for you! Good luck ladies!!!!