Yasmin and sex drive

Hi there... I came off of yasmin just 2 weeks ago and thought I should share with you my story since yours is a skin issue. I took yasmin for 3 years. This past year I would wake up some bumps on my lip.. then on my hands.. then (this is over a period of months) I would wake up and have a slightly swollen lip... this was over the last year or so. I would also get a feeling in my throat, like something was in it and swallowing felt funny.
WELL, 2 weeks ago, I took my bc like I always do, right before I go to bed and my lip starts to tingle and itch.. and in the morning my face was swollen 3x the normal size on on side, mostly at the lips... I couldn't really talk.. it was like those awful photos on google. It was angiodema and can kill you by swelling of the throat. I had also for about a year- an ear issue.. it would sound like I was talking under water and felt like swimmer's ear- related to the swelling I found out later. Turns out I'm allergic. I developed this allergy over the period of time I was exposed.

I just want to say to anyone out there that has FACIAL/LIP SWELLING, or swelling of the hands... GO TO THE ER. It can kill you. I got lucky.. my swelling started slow and after about a year if was full blown. It is not something to mess around with!I was prescribed an epi pen. I developed an allergy to a preservative in it and I'm not an allergen sensitive person. That was just the parms/doc guess I might add.

The first year I took yasmin I had numb and tingling toes. and the whole tie I've had on and off leg pain.. no sex drive, that's the truth..definite bloating issues about 6 lbs weight gain, sometimes more without change in diet. I haven't noticed any hair loss thankfully. Migraines. Lots of nausea in the morning, every morning like morning sickness. Car sick even when driving.. not normal! I used to work on an airplane and I never got motion sickness.

I'm now on day 4 of Mirena IUD and I'm having having severe diarrhea and trouble sleeping.. I really, really don't want to get pregnant. Our next step is a vasectomy for the hubby. I'm 25 and I weigh 140 5'10 if that helps. I wasn't an 'at risk' like the pamphlet said.

Hello, this is E. again. My son took a nap, so I was able to read a lot of the posts. Many things that occurred to me over time were things that I thought came with the change of life of being married and having a child. Just life, in general also. But, now that I think of who I was before motherhood and being a wife, it just doesn't add up. I believe now the additional things that were happening to me were indeed extra side effects of the pill. They include, no sex drive, weight gain, migraines/headaches, fatigue/tired, joint pain, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, nausea, and stress. I have been hospitalized and have had certain procedures done for some of these symptoms. Today I am stopping the pill due to the reasons of my previous post. Within time I will let you all know if there have been any improvements. Take care, E.

Like almost everyone else on here, I seem to be having a really bad reaction to this birth control pill! I started taking it shortly after I gave birth to my third baby because there is absolutely no way I can handle any more kids right now! Soon after I started taking it I noticed a lot of weird things going on with my body. Just walking up the stairs gets me out of breath and causes my heart to beat rapidly. Sometimes it starts to beat like this just from driving! I am also constantly nauseous (like morning sickness nauseous), have daily headaches, have no sex drive, and have acne! Up until I started taking Yasmin my skin was like porcelain and I could literally count the number of zits I got on one hand. Now my face looks like a freakin pizza!

I also go through phases of being really depressed and really angry. These mood swings are even worse than the ones I had during pregnancy! I have 3 healthy kids, a beautiful home, an amazing husband, wonderful friends...but I still cry all the time and want to die. I know that I am extremely blessed so there is absolutely no excuse for me to be feeling this way!

At the time I had passed all these things off as my hormones trying to adjust after being pregnant, even though I have never had any of these problems before when I had my other two babies. I also noticed that this was the first pregnancy where I wasn't able to shed any of my baby weight. It seemed no amount of diet or exercise could get it off, whereas with my 2 other pregnancies all I had to do was eat healthy and use the treadmill everyday and was back to my normal size before I knew it!

Now I realize that none of these things are due to having my baby at all but due to Yasmin! However, I have never used birth control pills before so this is my first experience with them. Is it possible that this is just a brand that reacts badly with me, or do all brands have side effects like this? I'm trying to decide if I should switch to a different pill or just stop taking any all together and just be extra careful with my husband! Regardless, I will definitely no longer be taking Yasmin!

I have been on Yasmin for over 5 years, and just thought that I was a hypochondriac. After starting Yasmin I experienced severe nausea and unrelieved hunger pains. I saw a gastroenterologist who performed an EGD and Colonoscopy at the age of 20. It was normal and I was placed on Protonix to help with the GI issues. Also I have severe joint pains in my knees, hips, elbows and shoulders. I have been tested for everything from Lupus to Rheumatoid Arthritis, and it was all negative. I get headaches, have little sex drive if any, my skin is not clearer than usual and nor has it been since starting Yasmin. Thanks to all those people who have voiced their concerns and shared their stories, it makes us feel less crazy. I threw out all my birth control pills last night and I am going to try another form of contraceptive. I mean my headaches and chest pains have gotten so bad that they have forced me to go to the ER on several occasions. I DO NOT THINK THE BENEFITS OF YASMIN OUTWEIGH THE RISKS ASSOCIATED.

I was on Yasmin last year for three months- I had dark red/black clots, Stabbing pains in my stomach (Really bad to the point of me crying), and the WORST mood swings ever. I had absolutely no sex drive (I was on the pill for a reason right? Yeah, Waste of money!) I stopped purchasing Yas and actually decided to stay off it for my own well being. I will NEVER go through that pain again.

I've been on Yasmin for about 5-6 years and have had all sorts of minor (or so I thought) ailments. My boss advised me to stop Yasmin as her daughter died at 28 from a DVT, put down to Dianette and she explained about these forums. After reading this forum, nearly every problem/ailment I've had or have is listed as a side effect of this bloody little white tablet. I am officially stopping it as of today and as I've just read another lady has written, I hope my sex drive returns soon and that I stop being so tired and lethargic and my crippling migraines stop !! I've had heart palpitations, weight gain (gradual so I've not put it down to the pill !) I have down days, migraines complete with auras, fuzzy heads, short tempered and narky, tired ALL the time. I never knew all these things could be down to the pill. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that coming off it makes me feel human again !!

i have just been reading this site and god am i glad, i took Yasmin for two months and came off as my boyfriend said i was being really nasty, i was also suffering with side affects. But i spoke to the doctor and they said to try and last it out as i have skin problems and she said it would help, so i continued to take it. But within one week in taking it side effects seem worse!! I have now two days left and decided not to finish the pack. The side affects are scary i thought there was something wrong with me . They include ...
* Moodiness*no energy*Pale*tired*muscle pain in legs, arms, hands, neck and the bottom of my back*Very sore tender breasts*no sex drive*thrush & dryness*needing to wee more often*Strange heart beats*itching more often everywhere!!
And there are probably more, im just hoping i loose all the side affects as quickly as possible.

Hi been off Yasmin for 2 days now, I had 7 days left in my pack but I thought there was no time like the present..... boobs not as tender, I have talked about coming off the pill to my husband, showed him other postings all had the same symptoms as me....he understands the low sex drive thing and hopefully knows i was not making excuses that there really has been a problem....he is glad as he wants his old wife back! Feeling confident that if being off the pill works out I can come off the antidepressants and I really really really hope my sex drive comes back!!! Will keep you informed. Still have the sore stiff neck and the tiredness not sure if it is a symptom that Yasmin has created. I will let you know if this improves. DO NOT TAKE YASMIN - THIS IS MY ADVICE.

Oh and PS- I too also, lost my sex drive while on the pill.

I've been on Yasmin since high school and have not suffered from any side effects since my fiance came back from Iraq. I went off of the pill while he was gone, but when he got home I started up again. Lately I've been so tired that I wake up at noon and around 3PM I'm so tired I have to take a nap. Also, I've always had an anemia problem, but now its just gotten worse. I get mad at the weirdest things and just start crying or feel like crying. Not to mention I have almost no sex drive. Which is weird since my fiance was in Iraq for 15 months; I should be wanting sex way more.

I am so glad I found this website.

After 2 years of being on Yasmin/Ocella, I have realized that my symptoms were entirely from this horrible drug.

Symptoms I experienced on Yasmin/Ocella:

-HEARTBURN! I had to have an endoscopy to determine the damage caused to my esophagus, and was on hard core antacid drugs for months.

-UTIs!! I suffered from a UTI pretty much every time my fiance and I had sex, and my Gyno referred me to a urologist. Mind, I had NEVER suffered from these frequently in any other time in my life.

-Strange heart beats - heart skipped a beat often.

-Anxiety, to the point of dysfunction.

-Back aches, kidney infections.

-Bladder infections.

-Depression - for instance, lying in bed for hours after my alarm went off, not wanting to get up.

-NO sex drive. NONE.

TAKE THIS DRUG OFF THE MARKET.

I am so glad I got off Yasmin before anything bad happened. I started Yasmin about 2 1/2 months ago. I heard great things about it and wanted to try it. I gained weight with a lot of the other BC pills and this one I heard was great for not making you gain weight. Well, it was great on not gaining weight but I have never been so scared of myself and my kids. THE ANGER! I have never felt this way in my entire life. I am not an angry person, I am a piece maker. This drug made me to the point were I didn't know if I was going to be able to control myself. I would get so angry at my kids and throw toys across the room and then turn around and hold them and cry because I didn't know what was going on with me............ This is such a terrible drug!! They need to take this off the market before someone hurts themselves or there children from the anger the rage that this medication gives.
I am so mad at myself for even wanting to be on this. I wish I would have researched it more before I went on it.
There were several other side effect from this that I experienced. ANGER being the biggest one of them all and the worst one of them all. I had excessive bleeding with my period, migraines like you wouldn't believe, and no sex drive. DO NOT GO ON YASMIN!!!

I've had horrible side effects whilst using, and horrible withdrawal symptoms whilst coming off Yasmin.

I came off using Yasmin 5 days ago. Since then, i've had horrible vivid nightmares, my head hasn't stopped banging, and i've been feeling really run down in general.

I'm assuming theres more to come than this though.

Whilst I was using Yasmin, i was the most moody, depressed, out of control person ever. I thought everyone hated me. And even though I was going through some personal problems at the time, I now realize that it was probably me that was making it worse in my own head. I used to fight and argue with my boyfriend for no reason. I fell out with my best friends for no reason. I felt sick all the time. My leg used to randomly go dead when i was sleeping, or lying down. I used to get really bad headaches. I used to get emotional (or hormotional as I call it!), mixed with anxiety attacks. and I completely and utterly lost my sex drive. now for a 22yr old I don't think thats normal! I just hope it will get back to normal, and quickly! I've realized hormonal contraception isn't right for me. Using Yasmin has completely put me off using hormonal contraception ever again, and I am considering getting a copper IUD fitted asap.

I'm a 20 year old healthy girl. I started taking Yasmin 10 months ago. I thought it was the best thing that happened to me, no weight gain, no headaches or and no depression. I felt perfectly fine except NO SEX DRIVE. I didn't really understand why I was feeling this way. I started believing that I was not happy with myself and not confident enough with my body any more.I started taking it just before I got married and its beginning to ruin it. I need to find another BC solution. I don't know what to do any more. By the way, thanks for everyone's comments, when I began to read them I understood what was happening to me. TC

Like it has been said MULTIPLE times before my post....I AM SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS SITE!!!! I seriously was beginning to think I was crazy and that I was doing something wrong in my life to cause the horrible feelings I was having! My life is the best it has been in years (super job, fantastic,loving, caring boyfriend of 2+ years, super family & friends, financially stable, etc.) but one little thing could ruin my day or my week! The littlest things set me off (like my boyfriend playing with my phone! how dumb!) and I was a total bitch to everyone I came in contact with if I had been set off earlier. I have very low energy and the whole dryness thing too (eyes, mouth, and down below) as well as ZERO sex drive. I seriously was beginning to think that maybe I didn't love my boyfriend anymore and that I needed to go see a psych to get my self out of this mood! I cried for no reason at random times during the month, I perseverate on stupid stuff that means nothing. I have only taken Yasmin (Ocella is what I take, it is the generic) for about a year and I totally attribute all of my craziness with this pill!!!!!!! I don't know what made me think of my BC first to check side effects but I am so glad I did! I hope this helps those of you who feel the same way and don't know why. I know reading everyone else's did me! :) Good Luck and get off this pill!!!!! BTW...Yaz was just as bad!!!

Hi,
I am turning 22 in 3 months and have been on Yasmin for almost 5 years.
I can relate to almost all side effects listed on this site. I'm so glad I found this site now because I decided to stop taking Yasmin about a week ago. I just want to see how I fair without it.

While on Yasmin I was fine until the third year. I started experiencing severe anxiety, heart palpitations, severe mood swings. Small things infuriate me which normally never do. My skin is better but I experienced getting weird pimples that do not surface but cause deep scarring even if I do not fiddle with them. Also, I am about 5'2 and my pre Yasmin weight was 47 to 49 kg. I now weigh 53 to 55 kg so the equivalent gain of about 10 pounds in less than a year and it just keeps climbing. None of my clothes fit and this happened rapidly within a spce of 3 months. This is a lot for me as I am small in frame.The gain keeps on building around my stomach area and looks asif I am permanently bloated. IBS has been quite bad since Yasmin also.
I had a lot of suicide thoughts and feel lonely all the time. I would cry for no reason at all. For a while now I have been sooo tired and have energy for nothing. I cannot get out of bed in the morning and could easily sleep the entire day. Pre-Yasmin I would wake up at 7 every morning with no alarm and be wide awake! I used to have cool dreams, now I only have the occasional nightmare, and thats if I dream at all.
The worst was when I experienced SEVERE bloating on my stomach and strange ovary pains.(i looked asif i was 4 months preg) I had ultrasounds and x rays but they found nothing.
I was a BITCH with NO sex drive.
After a week without Yasmin, My sex drive has started creeping back and don't feel as bloated. Hopefully the weight will drop away soon as well.
Will post back here in a month.
Thank God for this site. I thought this pill was supposed to be a miracle. It is CRAP. I hope I don't need to go back on any form of birth control. I'm too scared now!

I noticed that for the past couple months my sex drive has all but disappeared, and I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping. I was thinking it could have been Yasmin, but never got around to checking up on the side effects as my doctor said it was stress from work. After reading these blogs I now realize that so many of the symptoms you guys are experiencing I have also experienced. The back pain, cramps for no reason, tiredness, bad dreams, paranoia........, it's all there. The most recent is the hair loss which I have never ever experienced before. Yesterday was the last day I took Yasmin.

I've been on Yasmin for about 2 years or so, and before that, Ortho-TriCyclen for about 6 years. I've had no problem with Ortho-TriCyclen, but my Gynecologist switched me over to Yasmin due to my periods getting longer.

While I was on Yasmin, everything seemed fine, then a year later, I got a UTI. And I never get those! Nothing in my life had changed (same BF), and so I thought it was a one-time thing (or related to taking antibiotics at that time for a root canal). Well, I got UTIs 3 more times after that! Almost every month! However, during those months, I had switched to Ocella, so I thought it had something to do with taking the generic. Shortly after, I went back to Yasmin. I have had no UTIs since, but I also have been very careful to avoid it.

After the switch back to Yasmin (from generic), I noticed that I had NO sex drive and was dry, which was not like me. I also had melasma, which was noticeable to me and very annoying. I had recently stopped taking Yasmin altogether after searching for its side effects. It's been a month and a half now and my libido is coming back and the dark spots on my skin are beginning to diminish. Although my side effects were minimal compared to others here, I will not take Yasmin anymore. It's actually nice not to have to remember to take a pill everyday!

I have only been on this pill for two and half months! Thinking I'd give it the three month try.
Honestly it started great with decreased PMDD symptoms, less eating, moodiness, periods etc, with only the minimal side effects of nausea, headache.
Then in second month I became depressed, angry with hot flashes, migraine headaches, nausea everyday, no sex drive and a total bitch to my family.
Third month brought vision changes along with the hyperpigmentation, migraine, tingling in my uterus, symptoms of hypertention and numbing of my left arm.
I looked up more info on the web which was much more descriptive than the info pack with the pills, so I tossed them quickly!
After a week I feel a bit better except for the arm, which I will now need to go to the doctor to make sure I haven't suffered a mini stroke, since I am suffering memory loss and my left arm is still functioning oddly.
I hate being the "tester" for the drug companies, how something that is causing so much damage in such a shot time of taking it, in women so young is appalling.
THIS DRUG SHOULD BE BANNED!

I used to be on tri-cyclen for about 3yrs, and it gave me terrible side effects like constant nausea,depression,weakness,it messed with my pH and irritated my acid reflux disease badly, it took me so long to realize and then i was switched to Yasmin. I had been off all bc for a month and i felt great, started Yasmin and within 2 weeks i noticed my depression worsening and my sex drive dropped very much, I feel like I have developed IBS, my weight dropped randomly and I experienced lightheadedness and blackouts, I also became b12 deficient and need supplements, my periods were only 3 days long but I got bad cramps which i had never experienced before and even now after 2 months their just as bad as they were, I cant sleep properly anymore and my blood pressure and heart rate have increased, I get numbness and palpitations and I really notice this because I smoke and already have some sort of circulatory problems. I also felt weird pains/twitching in my stomach and lower body, most of these symptoms i still experience... I was only on it for 4 months before i quit all bc pills altogether. I'm only 19 years old and I feel like this pill has caused me some serious heath problems and discomfort, we all need more healthy birth control options...

i just started taking Yasmin b/c i have 11 day heavy periods and am anemic. my sex drive has been through the roof since about a week after i started taking it! i got headaches but they went away. it's really weird but in a good way.

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