Yasmin and sinus problems

Wow! I can't believe how many of us suffers from the pill from hell, Yasmin. I stopped taking it September 17 after 5 years and I'm worried as hell as to what's going to happen to my body now. But first things first. I seem to have gotten pretty much every side effect in the book.

About a month after starting it I got gastroparesis- paralyzed stomach- and I also became lactose-intolerant after 30 years of drinking a lot of milk. Go figure! I get a huge bloated belly as soon as I drink a little water even now. I have gained about 6 lbs that I can't shake no matter how much I work out and that has never been a problem before.

I had migraines from hell and headaches nearly every day the last few years.

I got panic attacks and was very nervous, had anxiety and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. And that is SO NOT me or anybody in my family. And I know it was the pill cuz I had no reason to feel that way.

I had blurry vision at times. Fainted once in the mall for no apparent reason, I had never fainted before in my life.

I had no interest in my own life or in doing anything whether that was working, going to school, exercising, going out with friends, traveling, whatever it was I was not interested. Again, so not me. I could have died and I wouldn't have cared. I could have gotten a Ferrari and I wouldn't have cared.

I could sleep 10 hours a night, take 1-2 hour naps in the afternoon and go to sleep again at 10 pm, no problem. And the nightmares! Holy crap. Awful dreams about plane crashes, robberies and murderers EVERY night. Thankfully they seem to have disappeared now.

I have high cholesterol, through the roof actually! -no family history there either- and blood pressure is a little high but not too bad. My thyroid was a little elevated last time and the doctor thought it was due to Yasmin.

I snap at everybody and think that I don't love my husband when I actually do love him a lot. He has put up with me being so unbelievably bitchy for 5 year. Bless his soul!

Since I started Yasmin we have had sex about 1-3 times a year. I'm NOT kidding. I haven't wanted anything to do with sex.

I have heart palpitations at times. Shortness of breath just walking up the stairs in my house.

Dry skin no matter what cream I use. Major hair loss.

I went off Yasmin once before and didn't get my period back for over 6 months so I just started taking it again like an idiot cuz I wasn't planning to have kids then anyway.

I was never happy, never sad. Mostly mad or irritated, no problems there.

What else? How many hours do you girls have to read my post? ;-)

To sum it up. Yasmin has destroyed my life for the past 5 years but I was to blind and scared to get pregnant before that I just didn't care. And not caring about my own health was surely caused by that rotten pill too.

What can I expect now that I'm off the pill since 2 weeks? How long before the hormones are gone from my body? What can I expect and when does it get better? Can I go to the ob/gyn after 2-3 months if I don't get my period and have them give me something to start it? Or would that be bad? What about the weight, should it go up or down? Acne? Hair loss? What else? Have you had any medical problems that you needed medicines for due to Yasmin? How long has it taken you to get your period back? And most importantly; can this pill make me infertile???

If there is a class action lawsuit I want to be in it!

Hi, all. I'm 30 and have been taking Yasmin since Oct. 2006. Yesterday, I finally went to my OB/GYN and asked to take me off it. I can't believe it's taken me so long to realize it was the cause of my many health problems.

Like others have said, I've had many side effects but never connected any of them to Yasmin - until a friend was thinking about using it and told me she'd read it had bad side effects such as mood and GI problems. Once she said this, everything clicked.

Immediately after starting Yasmin, I started gaining weight and had terrible depression. Crying ALL the time. I thought both were because I had started a new job that was very stressful, and I've had struggled with depression my whole life. But this was severe enough that I've had thoughts of suicide and my actions really worried my husband. I asked my doctor to increase my Prozac dosage.

In June 2007, I started having migraines. The first one was so bad that my husband took me to the ER and had me get a CAT scan. It was clear, but the migraines have continued about once a month since then. I've been prescribed Maxalt for when they occur.

Also in 2007, I started having GI problems, especially bloating, cramps, heartburn, gas, and quick-onset diarrhea. The diarrhea got so bad, I'd have to leave parties, work, etc. One day, I didn't make it to the bathroom in time (thankfully, I was at home), was in tears, and my hubby said to see a GI doctor. I got the full workup, including a colonoscopy, which was clear.

In 2008, I started having Restless Legs Syndrome and extreme fatigue. It'd get tingles/pain in my calves when watching TV, in movies, on airplanes, and when asleep. I would sleep 12 hours and still be exhausted. I'd go to bed at 7 or 8 p.m. Finally, I had a sleep study in March 2008 and was diagnosed with RLS and was prescribed Klonopin.

This spring, I've had terrible sinus problems and headaches. I've had allergies before, but never this bad. My Allegra isn't working anymore. I have incredible post-nasal drip and sneezing. Go through Kleenex like crazy. My doctor prescribed Nasonex.

And finally, since Oct. 2006, I've gained about 60 pounds while on Yasmin. I chalked it up to stress from a new job and planning a wedding. Yes, I gained weight WHILE I was engaged. In the time between buying my wedding dress and my wedding, I gained so much weight that my dress had to be let out. I thought it was because of stress, not exercising and a poor diet - but now I realize it shouldn't have caused me to gain THAT much weight. I've continued to gain weight since I've been married.

Now that I put this all together, I realize I am on THREE NEW MEDICATIONS, increased my Prozac, had a colonoscopy, a sleep study, and a CAT scan, and gained 60 pounds ALL since I started Yasmin.

And aside from the medical problems and prescriptions, my lifestyle has changed and I use many over-the-counter drugs. Of course, I'm overweight. I use antacids about 5X a week for heartburn, simethicone about 3X a week for gas, Advil about 2X a week for headaches, sleep all the time, have unusually strong depression, still have diarrhea, and have terrible sinus/runny nose constantly.

I feel so stupid that I never connected the dots. And I realize as I'm typing this that I sound like a hypochondriac because of all my drugs and doctor visits! Most of all, I'm outraged, and truthfully, very sad, that I got married at a very heavy weight because of Yasmin.

I'll post again in a couple of weeks to let you know how I'm feeling off Yasmin. I pray it's much better. Thanks for this forum to share our experiences.

-Katie

May 2006 I stopped taking Yasmin after being on it for a few years. I was having bad sinus congestion, sinus pressure, headaches and post nasal drip but never thought it was because of Yasmin. I went to a ENT doctor and the tissue in my sinsus cavities was so inflamed he recommended surgery. I also had a deviated septum and bone spur which were corrected. After the surgery (August 2006) I felt great. I exercise A LOT and it was now so much easier because I could breathe without all the fluid buildup. I kept thinking what a miracle the surgery was. March 2007 I started taking Ortho-tricyclen and quickly gained 10lbs in 2 months. I also had mood swings mostly feeling down. But I was still able to run and exercise more than I had in many years. March 2008 I went in for my annual exam and after mentioning my side effects from Ortho-tricyclen my doctor recommended going back on Yasmin since it had worked before. Two days after starting Yasmin my sinus problems and headaches returned. I was so low on energy and my chest felt tight. The only good thing is that I lost my appetite and in one month I lost 7 of the 10 lbs I gained on Ortho. I stopped taking Yasmin this past weekend in the middle of a pack. I am feeling better and have not had a headache this week. I was also able to run yesterday which felt so good. I hadn’t exercised in a month because of my lack of energy and difficulty breathing. Had I not been on it before I would have thought this was just a bad allergy season. I am convinced Yasmin was the cause of all my sinus problems and headaches.

hi guest 33998.
you are quite right,you do need to get off it! i never really had what i would call anxiety before. i have always been shy and what i would call "cautious" i did have a few panic attacks growing up but they were very very few and far between and were mainly linked to my shyness! i started on yasmin in jan 05 and by july 05 i was a complete wreck,i was so scared i could not even walk my kids the 2 min walk to school,i couldn't go out of the house at all but i was also afraid to be in the house. it really spiralled out of control.i was not taking any other medication either,i pretty much use herbs and vitamins apart from the odd aspirin here and there! i bought all kinds of programmes for anxiety disorders and while they helped me understand my fears and feelings and gave me some great coping techniques i still did not understand how i had developed an anxiety disorder....until i found this site.....it made sense that it could well be this pill and the synthetic hormones that were causing all the panic attacks and aches & pains. sure enough i stopped taking yasmin 8 months ago and have just been getting better and better...the anxiety is now just a background feeling,barely noticable most of the time,and i suspect it is me that holds on to the feelings as memories and make myself more anxious than i actually am. all the other physical side effects have now pretty much subsided. to me it was like have the worst case of constant pms (the clinical defintion not the oooh i feel a bit pmsie type !) constant sore boobs,back ache,stomach pains,sinus problems,racing heart,palpitations,frequent urination,headaches,hair loss,bloating,pins and needles,shaking,muscle weakness...the list goes on. i would suggest that you come off yasmin,take a good multivit with b6 and extra magnesium and zinc.give your body a good few months to get rid of the build up of synthetic hormones then consider your future contraceptive options when you are feeling back to normal. well done for being able to cope with your anxiety it can be so hard sometimes to deal with but you sound like you cope really well.
best of luck to you whatever you decide to do,if you need any help or advice in the future please come back here,there are so many wonderful women on this site that all know how you feel and will all help if they can.

sarah

Zingara,
What kind of sinus problems have you been experiencing? I have been having problems too.
Thanks!

i cannot believe this!! everything is starting to make sense to me now!

i have been on the BC for 5 years, i started with yasmin for a little over a year then i started getting bad migraines. i even put up with it for another few months because i needed the relief i was getting from my cramps!

i changed to ortho-low and loved it till i started to gain weight! for the sake of not having to buy new clothes i stopped taking that, but switched back to yasmin.

i would have loved to just be off the pill alltogether but, again, i needed relief from cramps! and... my mother (who has worked for a gyno. for over 20 years) was completely convinced that this pill was right for me! she pushed me to take it. even my gyno said it was good for me (being that i was only 18) b/c it would help my teenage skin problems.

i have been back on yasmin for over 2 years now and in that amount of time have experienced the following problems (yasmin related? after reading this forum i think it is possible!)

- anxiety (i am on zoloft now)
- severe sinus problems
- pains in the neck
- restless legs at night
- fatigue
- bad heartburn that comes and goes
- one eye can see better than the other!
- headaches

i think the FDA needs to read this forum!!!! i am getting off of this pill IMMEADIATELY. i will update my withdrawl symptoms.

I did have some pretty severe sinus and throat problems in the 1 month that i was on this pill. It still hasnt cleared completely. I have sore throat, dry throat, pain behind ears. My ENT did an endoscopy to check if i have acid reflux or post nasal drip. But there was nothing wrong there. So he has concluded that this might be because of hormonal prob. My family doc told me that before periods, my fluid retention might be going up and this can cause a feeling of a lump in throat and sinus problems. all docs have told me to wait till the hormones sort themselves out.

hi jess,glad i am not the only one with sinus problems,it drives me crazy! snap on the greasy skin/hair. this may just be a hormonal blip that will settle once the body gets back into it's own natural cycle of hormones (this could take a while!) i use the naturally active range by liz earle,not sure if it is available in the USA? i either buy my stuff from QVC or from the liz earle website,i recommend the cleanse & polish and also the super balm concentrate for oily skin,spot on is great for zapping those annoying zits too!

Hi everyone! I have been off Yasmin for 7 weeks. Overall I'm feeling better, libido is up, and my husband noticed I seem happier and healther - less daily issues with pains, headaches... Flowerbabies - you mentioned sinus problems. I had tons while on Yasmin, even got on four allergy meds to stave off the sinus headaches and full ears. I still have issues but hope they will improve. I also have warm flushings as others mentioned, which I would had never guessed was so widespread. I'm so thankful for this thread as it verfies my sanity!
My biggest problem has been my face and hair have gone back to highschool (I'm 32). I wash my previously dry face and hair all the time and can't keep my skin clear or hair ungreasy. I was hoping it was a short phase but after reading the prev posts I'm debating biting the bullet and switching out ALL of my skin and hair care products to accomodate my greasy head. Anybody have the acne come and go, and also any suggestions on products that work well for breakouts? The other day I almost called in on that Proactiv informercial. Help! I never though I'd have to deal with this again.

hi all,
the previous post (lisa) mentioned foot warming/tingling.does anyone know what thats all about? i have been off yasmin for about 7 weeks now and am feeling soo much better,i am getting near to my old self again. i still have a few niggling things..one of them being that the side of my left foot gets really warm and tingles,this happens through out the day,i hadn't thought it could be connected to the yasmin but having seen the previous post i wondered if it was common? i have also has a blocked ear for about 6 months now that comes and goes,think it could be sinus related but wondered if anyone else had had sinus problems whilst on yasmin?...... while trying to clear my ear problem my doctor prescribed sudofed...if you suffer with anxiety do NOT take it....the psuedoephedrine makes the anxiety worse..i discovered this after 3 days on it,needless to say i stopped taking it immediately as the anxiety was one of the worst symptoms caused by yasmin! hope you are all doing ok and getting better each day.

I just returned from the ER. I am 9 months off Yasmin and am having SEVERE headaches, vision disturbances (feels like I am wearing someone else's glasses), and a feeling like I have a golf ball stuck in my throat. After an episode today of sinus problems, I took Benedryl, which is what ultimately landed me at the ER from dizziness, faintness, heart racing/pounding, and all around panic. My legs are also still slightly swollen and I have spots in my vision. The bad news (maybe could be taken as good news) everyone just said it was all in my head and offered me counciling. With no one else around to believe how horrible the Yasmin is, this website has offered great comfort and hope to me.

Ladies,
I happened to stumble on this posting on the "side effects" forum for YASMIN. I hope it's ok to cut and paste it here. It goes along with what I said in my last post. As this woman said, don't be scared by the title; it's about HORMONES, not just menopause!

Rita

BAD SIDE EFFECTS TO YASMIN
I was on Yasmin for 4 months. I felt OK for the first month, but I had the driest skin, and everything else. My acne started to clear up. I was excited. Then around the third month I started getting dizzy, ringing or pressure in my ears, sinus problems, just weird overall sense of not myself. Very unhappy. No libido. Very tired. Gained weight. Just not well. I decided it had to stop. In my search for hope, I came upon the most AMAZING book. It is full of specfic answers to all of your hormone questions. Why is this happening!!!! I could not stop reading it once I started. I finished the 395 page book in one evening. Then I got started right away the next morning on getting my body back in balance. I hope all of you will check this out. It is a LIFE SAVER. The book is "What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Premenopause", by John R. LEE, M.D., Jesse Hanley, M.D. and Virginia Hopkins. Don't be afraid of the title, it is for EVERY WOMAN! I would get a copy and share it with as many woman as possible. I am feeling so much better today!!! :>)

I have tried all of these birth controls, and have had syptoms with all of them

Ortho-tri-cyclin: stomach problems, anxiety, chest pains
Microgestin: major anxiety and panic, chest pains
Ortho-tri-cyclin-lo: nausea, headaches, stomach problems,
anxiety, chest pains
Ortho Evra: Nausea in the evenings, headaches, anxiety,
sinus problems, stomach problems, chest pains
Nuva Ring: Severe headaches, nausea, stomach problems,
anxiety, vaginitis, chest pains
Yasmin: side effects listed in prior message