Yasmin and six months

I first started taking birth control pills about a year ago, and my doctor started me on Yaz, I continued to have an increase in headaches, nausea, and break-through bleeding, so she eventually switched me to Yasmin. To be honest for the first six months or so that I was on it, I was great, my headaches that I normally got decreased, and I didn't have any real side effects other then the expected break through bleeding the first months after starting it. Now I feel awful, my headaches come back with such increased severity I can't think and any medication I take for it doesn't work, during random times of the day I get waves of depression for no reason, I go through episodes of extreme emotion and the thought of even being close to my boyfriend at times sickens me. I didn't take any other drugs that could have interacted with the pill or increased the side effects as I know some people have implied. But I've never felt so horrible before in my life and I'm only twenty years old, I'm trying to get off the pill and find a different one, has anyone gotten off Yasmin and found a better alternative?

Hi all! I am actually really glad to have found this site, i've been on Yasmin for 2 years now. I have been on several different bc pills before this but I was told by my Doctor that Yasmin would be better for me as my weight fluctuates terribly. Normally after being on the same pill for about a year my body starts rejecting the hormones. However, Yasmin has sent my body into overdrive, I feel ill all of the time, have constant headaches, break out in rashes at lease once a week and my sex drive is non-existent. I have also been experiencing extreme pains and my stomach bloats to the size of a football (seriously!) about a week before i'm due on. My periods have also become heavier and extremely painful in the last six months. After reading all of your posts i'm feel happier knowing i'm not the only one and that its not just my body! I am definitely coming off this pill now! Has any bc pill worked for anyone?? I guess i'm going to have to try different things now. However i've heard such bad things about the injection and the implant. (My nurse said they could prevent me from ever having children? - I'm 20 and have my whole life ahead of me. This is the last thing I want!) Thanks again! xx

Both my 19 year old daughter and my 30 year old step daughter were put on Yasmin. Both began having heart problems. The eldest had heart palpitations, a racing heart and dizziness. The doctor discovered that her potassium level had shot up and her magnesium was down. They put her on magnesium to help control the racing heart. It helped, but then she became pregnant and had to lower the dose. The 19 year old has had the worst side effects. She was fine on ortho tricyclene, but when her doctor switched her to Yasmin her blood pressure shot up to 170/118. She began having chest pain. We pulled her off the Yasmin, but she has continued to have uncontrollably high blood pressure. The doctor ran several tests and has found no underlying cause as of this writing. She began taking 5 mg. of Norvasc, but was increased to 10 mg. to manage the high blood pressure.

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

I've been experiencing severe stomach pains (not period pains) for the last six months. Symptoms are very similar to that of an ulcer (pain after eating, severe heartburn) except the doctors can't find anything wrong with me. Every day I'm in agony. I started taking Yasmin 2.5 years ago and it's been good for me (other pills have made me depressed and gain weight, daily period pains). I was advised to take 3 packs back-to-back then a 7 day break.

Could all this be caused by Yasmin? If so can anyone suggest a suitable alternative contraception?

I lost my job, my family, my dog, I'm dying, THANKS YASMIN...good lord some people on here are blaming every *** problem on the pill, come on now...going from a size 2 to a size 12, UMMM HELLO...how long would you let yourself gain that much weight, before STOPPING the pill??? Good lord..I understand that the pill isn't right for everyone, but it amazes me how long people continue to take something that isn't doing them any good.

I thought this was a miracle because pill until after about a month ago.....breast tenderness, bloating, fluid retention.......makes you depressed when you are not even having a period. Been on Yasmin for about 6 months......just started skipping the inactive pills and starting a new pack.....that way you don't have a period at all. The edema itself is a nightmare. I have been on Yasmin in the past....with no problem...then 3 years ago I had a child and only started back six months ago. I thought I was gaining weight from overeating until I realized that my eating habits haven't changed at all. And to top that....I have exercised at least 3 times a week for the last six months (which is more than I have in the last 2 years) and I'm not losing any weight? I've also experienced the terrible muscle cramps in my legs.....thought it was shin splints.....but now that I read what people are saying I honestly believe that my problems might be from taking this because pill for way to long. I've taken my last pill this morning and I am not going to finish the pack. Taking a break from the pill period!!

nursehl

I was on Yasmin for 3 years and have recently changed to Ortho Cyclen. My side effects built gradually over time. I became progressively manic every month during the last two active pills. I was starting to think I was crazy. I would cry for no reason, snap at people over nothing; I was super paranoid and highly over sensitive. I'd get violent mood swings that would throw me into a rage that I had never exhibited before - it was to the point my boyfriend was afraid of me and for me during those few days each month. I would get so depressed, I had no value on my life or anyone else and no concept of future or consequences - it was like the end of the world once a month. I was ready to go in for a Psychiatric Evaluation when I told my GYN what I was going through. He said he heard of Yasimin's reputation for causing psychotic aggressive mood swings. I notice a difference within 2 days of getting off the pill. My general mood was improved and I feel back to normal. I've been off the pill for six months without the slightest mood swing. The only thing that hasn't improved, and I think it's a consequence of my new pill, is my libido. My libido decreased the entire time I was on Yasmin, but was still present. Now that I've started Ortho I haven't be interested in the least. In fact, it's painful which only makes the libido lower (as if it were possible). I'm going to GYN again to continue my search for a better pill. My poor boyfriend - sometimes he'd rather have a scary psycho than a passionless non-physical relationship.

When a class action lawsuit is filed, let me know....this drug should be taken of off the market immediately. We started all of this with an OB/GYN that prescribed this “miracle pill” and now have had to go not only to our primary doctor, but also a psychiatrist, gastrenologist, college campus counselors, psychologists, psychiatrist, and the campus medical doctors; All the while, accumulating enormous doctor bills. All the doctors say, "No, Yasmin won't cause those problems" (except the college campus doctors..wonder why? Hmm.. could it be that they are not in private practice?)....well, I beg to differ. Everyone needs to give this website to their doctor so the doctors can hear from the patients that have taken this drug, and not listen to the pharmaceutical companies that are pushing this drug to be the "miracle pill". Maybe if enough people complain and go to the media, we can get rid of this drug!
My daughter who is 18 was put on Yasmin because of irregular periods, hormonal imbalance, etc. We were told it was the new “miracle pill”. It will make you loose weight, regulate your periods, clear up acne, you name it, it will fix it. Yeah, right.
She started taking this pill in March 2007. She was off at college but called to tell me she was experiencing horrible headaches, behind the eyes. She complained about her stomach hurting, but we just figured it was the stress of freshman year at college. Then she said she got where she couldn’t eat when she went to a restaurant. When she came home in May for the summer, I noticed a total personality change. For example, she was always a neat freak, and now she wouldn’t clean her room. The first day when she drove home, she started crying she was so mad about the traffic. Yes, she has always had a little road rage, but this was ridiculous.
By June, not only could she not be in crowds, like at a restaurant, but now she is having full blown panic attacks and IBS. We called the OBGYN and they said, “Yasmin won’t cause this, go see your primary doctor”. I knew that the only thing that had changed with her was taking the YASMINE. I knew it had something to do with all of this so I “Googled Yasmin” and this website (http://www.medications.com/se/yasmin) was the first one I looked at. All of her symptoms matched everyone else’s! I am so glad we found this website, it explained everything and I had her to stop Yasmin immediately.
So we went to the primary doctor, explained about the Yasmin and how we thought it was the culprit of everything. Of course this doctor also says, “Yasmin won’t cause that”. We told him to look it up on the internet and see how there are over 3000 complaints on this drug, more than any of the other drugs on the market.
Besides the emotional problems she starting having, her pulse and blood pressure was sky high, so he puts her on medicine for that, and puts her on an anxiety medicine and sends her to a psychiatrist. She is very thirsty all the time, and develops IBS. She can’t eat without having pains in her stomach. So, now we’ve have gone from having just irregular periods, to all of the above, plus a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist doubles her medicine (and puts her Pamine for the IBS) because the panic attacks are gone, but she still is having a lot of nervousness, anxiety, can’t sleep at night, crazy thoughts, worrying all the time, etc. A month later he changes her medicine again, to Effexor. The first 2 weeks, she does okay, but the packet doubles the strength after 2 weeks. It takes 4 weeks for it to take full effect. Right after she doubles this medicine, it is like her senses are on hyper-mode. She can taste everything that is in her food (chili powder, seasonings, etc…), taste the metal in water, and she can hear someone’s phone vibrating, in another room.
Then she goes back to college at the end of August 2007, and it’s horrible. The Effexor is having bad, bad side effects. We called the psychiatrist that she was using at home and he doubled the dose. That was the worse thing they could’ve done. The side effects were worse than ever. I had her to immediately go to a psychiatrist on campus. She told him the whole story and he believed her! Needless to say we switched doctors. He then lowered her dose back down to ½ a dose and hopefully can slowly get her off of all this medicine.
The newest thing she has developed is being hypoglycemic. The campus psychiatrist sent her to a campus medical doctor and he told her that they would get to the bottom of this. He tested her for everything under the sun. Low blood sugar is the only thing they found. But, she hasn’t taken the Yasmin since May. No telling what the results would have came back like if it was done at the time she was taking Yasmin.
Thank goodness she has counselors and doctors there at the campus that believes that Yasmin can cause all of these problems, and are working with her. From what I have read from the people that have used this medicine, although most doctors do not agree, Yasmin takes like 6 months to get out of your system. I think I am going to believe the testimonials of the people who take this medicine, over a doctor who prescribes it.
If everyone goes to the media, their doctors, the FDA, congressmen, and make them aware of these horrible effects, surely we can get this drug off of the market! Does anyone know a class action lawyer that would pursue this? For my child to have to go through all of this is ridiculous, not to mention costly. What do we know of the long term effects this drug will have if it is doing all of this when you first start taking it?
If you have the same concerns as me about this drug, and would be interested in looking into a class action lawsuit, please email: ****** I would be interested to see how many would want to pursue this.

okay i am not usually one to post on the internet but I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY TO FIND A WEBSITE BEFORE IN MY LIFE!!!!! :-) I seriously think Yasmin is the worst thing that ever happened to me...but I just put it all together right now! Thank you everyone for posting! Let me start out by saying i am NORMAL haha! I am a full time college student, athlete, employee, active family member, and I have always been the happiest, most light hearted person of all time! I have always loved every moment of my life...and was always easily able to cope with and learn from the tough times....UNTIL THE PAST SIXTH MONTHS!!!! i have been on yasmin for about a year and a half and starting about six months ago i have: A) dropped 17 pounds (despite eating everything in sight) and my parents/friends/boyfriend are freaking out with worry and i want to cry because i eat SO much! B) have these weird panic attacks like all my clothes (sweatpants, tshirts too!) feel tight and like they are choking me. I also think I have cancer like a thousand times a day (even though I am perfectly healthy...believe me i have been to every doctor (including my psychologist) in the last six months to check these new symptoms out). I am paranoid about stupid things, like if I will get in a car accident even if I am just driving a few blocks C) my heart beats very quickly, double beats, etc even when i am just resting....not working out, walking up the stairs, rushing around etc D) I can barely sleep at all, and even if i sleep for 12 hours i wake up exhausted E) I snap at all my friends F) Although I have been an athlete my entire life, my workouts and performance have been decreasing consistently. G) My glands are swollen often (yes I got an HIV test....and it was negative) and finally I) I freak out and cry about everything my boyfriend does...and he is the greatest guy in the world! So nice! Our relationship has always been great and he is super supportive! But in these last few months I cry and scream and get frustrated/angry/annoyed with him (and everyone) at the drop of a hat.BUT somehow I feel no emotion 99% of the day then when I am with him I become so awful! How is that possible? I HAVE BEEN SO SAD! and he keeps asking me what is wrong and doubting HIMSELF....omg i cant believe this Yasmin sight...i just showed it to him and it is like a huge weight has been lifted off both our shoulders! I am not a doctor and this IS just a blog I suppose....however I plan on talking to my GYN about this as soon as possible! These symptoms seem to match up with the other posts way too much to be just a coincidence......THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

Hello,
I am soooooo happy to have found this post!!! I have been on Yasmin for approximately six months for very irregular or non-existent periods. About four months ago I began having dizzy spells where I could not walk or move my head without vommitting. I have now had one each month, this last one occuring for three days. I have also experience nausea, stomach aches, vommitting, etc... intermitent from the other symtoms. Long long story short I was referred to an ENT specialist and was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (Inner Ear.) I didn't buy it so I began searching for side effects of Yasmin - I am stopping it today! I have my fingers crossed this is the problem>

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

I googled 'vomiting', mood swings' and 'fatigue' and this forum was the third result and since I'm currently on Yasmin, I figured it must be related to what I'm experiencing, and I was right. The first month that I started Yasmin (December 2006), there were little or no side effects, only minor nausea and headaches. I got married in January 2007 and the side effects started to intensify but I attributed them to other things like stress and nerves. I get frequent headaches, some minor, some major and would vomit almost every month right before my period. My husband has also noticed and commented on my constant change of mood throughout the six months that we have been married and that I appear depressed at times. He says that I have become a different person. This inconsistency has often led to arguments that I cannot seem to find the root of until now. My sex drive is also much like a yo-yo nowadays, I simply feel disinterested most times even though we're both in our prime and it is not helping with my marriage. Therefore, I have made the decision to stop taking Yasmin. I might opt for a different pill or just stop altogether. I am 22.

I have been on Yasmin for 3 months. During the first month I had mood swings and felt very fatigued. During the second and third months I've had severe muscle cramps in my legs, on and off backache, more fatigue, and shoulder cramps. I am on it to regulate my period which before could happen three weeks apart, or six months apart. I am beginning to feel as though these side effects aren't worth it just to have a regular period.

Because of a hormone inbalance and trying to conceive me doctor place me on yasmin for six months. I started taking yasmin 2 month ago. From taking the first pill i felt so depress, did not feel like having sex also my breast were sort and heavy for those two months. Sence reading some of your side effect i my just stop taking this drug. Thanks for you reading.

Where do I begin??? I have been taking Yaz for six months. Migraines! The worst migraines ever, I cannot function for one full day and sometimes more, the pain was so intolerable.

Hives! For the past two months, I keep thinking that I had a food allergy; even my doctor diagnosed it as that. After going to the allergist, I was told that I have developed an allergy to the Yasmin pill. No part of my body has been discriminated with this medication. Hives from the top of my head, in my eyes, right down to the bottom of my feet! This has been the worst experience of my life with this pill.

Fatigue to the extreme! I fall asleep sitting up and never feel rested. Yaz has caused me to go up two cup sizes so far, I went from being a 38C to a 40DD and I can't fit into anything. My boobs are sore a lot.

Weight gain, at least 20 pounds heavier. Nausea; Indigestion; Diarrhea & Constipation; Decreased Sex Drive; and Mood swings; Uncontrollable Rages; Severe body aches; Hot Flashes/Chills; Crying Spells; Blurred Vision; Lack of Concentration; Trouble sleeping; Dizziness; Shaking; Restlessness mainly after 9pm when I should be winding down to go to bed; Terrible night sweats; Never ending cravings for junk food; Inability to cope with stressful situations; Feeling of being inadequate; Can’t concentrate; Gassy; Hate family & partners; Irrational.

About six months after my daughter started taking yasmine. her moods changed, her personality changed, she was is a state of depression and was having panic attacks regularly.she lost an excessive amount of weight and was thinking about suicide. I asked her doctor and a gyn if the yasmine could possibly be causing these side effects. They both said no. So she started getting treatments for depression and anxiety and was put on medication. Paxil. This medication seemed to be helping at first but then she started having the same effects as before and she was still taking the yasmine. in the last 3 months she has been taking the birth control shot and has not taken yasmine or paxil and is now doing great. I'm really disappointed in her doctor's because a lot of her misery could have been avoided if we had been told this earlier. My daughter was on Yasmine for 2 years before I finally decide to check the side effects from the internet myself. Now she says she feels so much better and is back doing things with her friends again is having a fun teenage life. Never again will I let her use Yasmine!!!!

i have been on yasmin for six months now. all my menstral cycles have been pretty much normal. just the latest on... i was menstrating for the full 5/6 days, however i probably bled les that half of what i usually do!
i'm not sure if i should be worried or not!

Yeah, see - I did pretty well on it for about six months: only side effects were feeling like I had a cold and nasty discharge. It's when I got OFF of it that all hell broke loose! I'm absolutely MISERABLE and wondering WHEN WILL THIS ANXIETY GO AWAY?? I started Loestrin on Sunday and I'm PRAYING it levels me out before I go stark raving mad... (Knowing my luck, it'll just make things worse.)

Oh my gosh!!! i am STUNNED looking at this page. I have been on Yasimin for about six months...and in that time everything has gone down hill. I haven't gone off yet b/c I honestly thought it there was something else wrong with me but I am getting off this pill quickly!
I was in the ER Friday night for chest pains...they did an ECG and chest xray and put it down to bad acid reflux as a result of anxiety! I have been complaining about dizziness and headaches for months and I too get sharp pains in my legs. I just can't believe this can all be linked to this pill! Can anyone tell me how long it takes before the symptoms go away? _Jackie

I have just gotten out of the hospital on a 5 day stay due to my 2 month use of Yasmin. I have been diagnosed with multiple pulmonary embolisms. I am 35 and taking blood thinners for six months to a year. I was very ill and am lucky to have survived this episode. My doctor failed to inform me of the recent studies done on Yasmin and their findings. It seems that Yasmin has a bad track record for causing this type of illness. I am doing okay now, but what a frightening experince!

lisa !!

yes i still felt the way ur feeling after 3 months. october was my 3rd month off yasmin and also the month of my birthday.. wasnt too much fun i can tell you.... but i got through it thanks to this website.
to be honest i only started feeling 90% better after christmas....so really january has been my best month id say... and thats six months after i stopped yasmin....
but dont get me wrong its not perfect... i still had heart palpitations last week and i got a little bit shakey and anxious at one stage... but it was nuthing like it was the first few months....
you asked if i was working... i had two weeks off in august which i really needed cos at that stage i was bad but apart from that i had to work.... it was tough but i just kept at it and told myself i would be ok....
remember that it wont stay in ur body forever and im living proof of that....
you'll get there soon and i have a feeling that in a couple of months you'll be telling me how right i was... : )
if you have any more questions im always here to help you ok

luv chrissy xoxox

dear lisa, its chrissy sorry iv taken a while to respond...

i just read ur posting about the hair loss and yes ive heard that it is a very common post yasmin side effect. i didnt experience it myself but i do get the depression the week that my period is finishing. its gotten better since i first stopped yasmin but its still noticeable.
have you been feeling any better apart from those symptoms?? just remember that ur nearly 3 months off yasmin and the first two months are the hardest.
im six months off it now and i feel so much better. you will get back to normal soon i promise... you just gotta hang in there...
you can take some natural vitamins to increase hair growth and it will only be the hair on ur head not anywhere else...
there is one i heard about i think its called Biotin??? something like that anyway and you can get it from like health food shops .....
it may help im not sure of any others though.

try to stay positive and i wish you the best results in whatever you decide to do.
lots of hugs to you
luv chrissy xoxox

Hi Everyone,
Its me again. Well, just to tell you that I thought that I felt fine whilst I was taking Jasmin for the two years. But my poor husband had to put up with a very depressed and anxious wife with no libido at all. Last year, was our worst year of 11 years marriage ever, we nearly divorced because I was so depressed with absoultely no reason to be whatsover.
Two boys, lovely man, home, job, etc. I now feel more "alive" having stopped taking Jasmin but these heart pains are awful. Can anyone post how long these pains last for on average? Three months, Six months? I had them last month and then they eased off towards the end of the month and now they have come back again everyday and sometimes with a very slight ache in my left arm. I've never felt so fragile. I know my GP will say it is "stress", which seems to be the answer to everyone on this site, and its not true. Any comments would be great.
Kitty.

to the last few postings...

i ust want you all to know your not alone... i was on yasmin for a month last july and had to get off it because i had heart palpitations and shocking anxiety...
i could sleep at nyt cos i was constantly shaking and thinking i was gonna die... i had headaches and sharp pains in the head at one stage i thought i had a tumour!!
doctors tested me and told me it was stress too but i know that it was yasmin...
now im six months yasmin free and i feel so much better... i still get a bit anxious every now and then but i can handle it so much better....
take note of the times when u feel that way as you may notice its around ovulation or the week leading up to ur period...
lots of luck to all u girls and i wish you all a speedy recovery....
please remember your not alone!!
chrissy xoxoxo

Hi Silke, Hi mollie and everyone else.
Just to chime in (again!) on the topic of weight gain, I'm also 6 months post yasmin and still the weight is not moving. No matter what I do or how little I eat it still stays the same.

Mollie, I'm glad you finally got one doctor out of the whole universe to admit that this can be a result from the pill. My doctor said 6 months should be the most it shall take for all the symptoms to fade. Well here I am six months and all and still no improvement. Honestly I'm thinking it'll never change and it's hard for me to get used to the idea that I now look like a blob. I've gained 10 lbs-went up two dress sizes. Even my face is bigger. Silke-I like the description of pudding. That more or less fits the bill. (sigh) It's so unfair.

Anyone out there thinking of going on the pill, please do yourself a favor and don't ruin your body knowingly. I wish I checked this out before.

Take care,
Shery

To melkel19:
I experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia, and mood swings while ON Yasmin. I was on it for over 2 years and it got worse after the first year. I started noticing heart palpitations and hair loss and that's when I stopped. I now have other problems associated with STOPPING the pill. Like much more hair loss, weight fluxuations, and irregular periods (still no regular periods after six months). It is slowly getting better but I think all of these side effects could happen while on Yasmin or after getting off due to the change in hormones. The good news is that it is getting better. Don't let the side effects of stopping discourage you from quitting Yasmin. A few months of hell is worth it for a lifetime of health.
Good luck!

I stopped Yasmin six months ago after being on the drug for two years. It ruined my sex drive and made me very emotional.

Towards the tail end of the treatment, I started to develop severe cystic acne on my shoulders, back, and chin, which has only gotten worse. My moods and energy levels are at a record low, and my sex drive -- though recovering -- is not what it used to be.

I'm so fed up. I have PCOS and am prone to ruptured ovarian cysts, but feel I can't go back on the bcp.

I just quit taking Yasmin after 2 1/2 years. I noticed no side effects for mostly the first two years, but then the last six months, my sex drive completely disappeared, I started spotting throughout the month, experiencing nausea, stomach pains, dairreah and terrible cramps. I am off now but I want my sex drive back! How can I flush this out of my system! My boyfriend is the best guy in the world and I cry every night because I have no sex drive. I feel so guilty and I just want to get over this. Any advice?

I have been taking Yasmin for two years to help with irregular periods and ovarian cysts which Yasmin has indeed helped. But in the last six months, I have been suffering from TERRIBLE leg cramps and it was not until today that I realized that this may be a side effect of Yasmin. I thought I was not drinking enough water or eating enough bananas. I feel like such an idiot for not putting two and two together! Alas, I too have been experiencing anxiety especially at night (well before the leg cramps) and panic something I have never felt before...and I wonder if this too is due to this drug. And the vaginal dryness--again something I have never dealt with before. Why is the burden on the patient to find out serious side effects to a drug? Why aren't doctors informing their patients about the side effects of Yasmin?! Why should we suffer only to find out later that it was due to a drug? I am going to a doctor today and ask these questions. What I can't figure out is why the psychiatrist I saw for these symtoms (anxiety), did not pick this up? The bottom line is we cannot put our trust in doctors--as patients we have to do all the research and read the fine print!

I NEARLY DIED BECAUSE OF YASMIN. Now that i have your attention, i am not lying.
My GP put me on Yasmin for endometriosis and like so many of you i experienced all the weird freaky and depressive side effects. But it was in the middle of the night 30th october 2004 when i woke not being able to breathe that the emergency room of my local hospital took 11 long hours of pain to find a 4 inch long blood clot in my lung caused by the contraceptive pill! i spent a week in hospital and another two weeks in bed and then was put back in hospital where they told me i have lost a third of my right lung. i have been on warfarin, lost six months of my life with my kids and husband and i am now extremely suspicious of any drug medication of treatment. i cannot ever take any sort of hormone including for breast cancer or menopause. i do not know what other effects this will have on my life yet, it is too soon.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODIES LADIES. IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG KEEP TELLING SOMEONE UNTIL THEY LISTEN.

I am so glad I found this web site.
I have been on yasmin for 2 years. I take it without the placibo week, to stop my periods because of uterine complications.
I am never moody, I never break out.
But, my life is plagued with intense bouts of diarrea, constipation, gas, bloating, somach pain as well as lower abdominal pain. I don't sleep, I've gone from 150lbs to 132lbs in the last six months. I feel like I'm dying. I can't function. I have no energy.
I have been in the hospital three times for dehydration and severe flu like symptoms. I was recently put through x-ray and ultrasound procedures to diagnose the problem. I think I may have just found the answer to what has seemed like a medical mystery!
Thank You All So Much!

I realized the problems I've been having started when I switched BCP from Ortho Tricyclen to Yasmin. Since I switched pills, I've noticed myself becoming incredibly fatigued, until now (after about six months) I can barely get through a workday. I'm depressed, forgetful, and nervous and have no sex drive. I get diarrhea and cramping that hits less than an hour after almost every meal. And I'm steadily gaining weight. I never had any of these problems with the Ortho. It may turn out that the Yasmin isn't the problem at all, but after reading what everyone else has said, it seems like a pretty good place to start.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to those of you who have made posts on this site. For the past six months, I have been suffering from panic attacks, anxiety, and depression for no apparent reason at all. I went to my doctor who prescribed zoloft for me, but thank God, I decided not to go down that path & I didn't take it. I felt like something was really wrong with me. I felt nervous all the time for no reason & thought that I was literally losing my mind. The past year & a half has been a personal hell with no external cause. I had been praying for months for God to please help me. Then yesterday, out of nowhere, I thought about the Yasmin. I found this site & immediately started reading posts about women experiencing the same side effects as me. Lets just say, the truth has set me free & I cannot thank you enough for sharing your experiences. I will never take another Yasmin pill again. These are side effects that doctors are obviously either not aware of, or not sharing with their patients. My doctor never even considered the Yasmin when she prescribed the zoloft for my panic attacks. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping me realize that Yasmin has probably been the cause of these ailments all along.

I switched to Yasmin about six months ago. My breasts started swelling and itched really badly. It neevr occured to me that this could be related to Yasmin until i searched for this symtom and foudnt hsi site witht he same complaints. I think it is extremely likely that this pill is the cause of the problem since it happened just when I switched. I have also had a number of the other issues people emntioned -- no sex drive, naseous at random times, and very frequent peeing.

Good luck to everyone.

I have been using Yasmin for two and a half years now and have not experienced any of the side effects listed on this page. In fact, I took Allesse for six months prior to starting on Yasmin and suffered horrible mood swings. I spoke to my gynecologyst and he explained that one women may do well on a specific brand of birth control pill while others may experience side effects on that same pill. You have to find waht works best for you.

I was on Yasmin for six months. During that time, I completely lost my sex drive. I had recurring yeast infections that would not go away. I got pains in my right side that sent me to the hospital and had constant stomach pains that my doctor at first diagnosed as an ulcer. I was frequently nauseous and vomited several times during the course of six months, which is highly abnormal for me. I was spotting CONSTANTLY and from out of nowhere. Many pairs of underwear were ruined. My period was abnormally heavy and different from anything I'd ever experienced before. On top of all these joys, I became extremely moody and depressed. After six months, I switched to Triphasil and now I'm back to normal. Every person reacts to medication differently. Some people will do really well on Yasmin, but there are some really negative potential side effects with this pill that people just going on it should consider.

I have been on Yasmin for a little over six months. In the past 3, I have noticed weight gain even though there have been no changes in my routine. I'm bloated constantly. I'm starting to have little cellulite looking things on the back of my thighs (I'm 16! this isn't supposed to happen yet!!) and I've noticed some of the women talking of uncontrollable anger bouts. The entry girlsaturday posted on March 5th is exactly how I've been, as well as one women who said "I've turned from 'the nicest person he's even known' into a 'crazy B@#$'. And I know it! And I hate it! I sometimes feel like I don't have control of myself...I can't stop myself from saying something I know I shouldn't. " .... all of these things are exactly like me, and for months I was trying to find a solution. sure I may be a teenager whose hormones are running wild, but this was so unlike me! I have always been unstable in a depressed way but not angry... I've never really wanted to lay a violent hand on anyone or be mean to those I love as much as I seem to have been wanting to, especially since around november or december. I had absolutely no source for this anger, there was no where it could have been coming from, and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn't figure out why. Once it came up in my mind "hey maybe it's the pill" but i didn't want to believe it. I thought, no, it's just me being a moody teenager. but after reading all of these, i honestly don't think that's what it is. I don't feel like myself anymore and the timing points to the pill. I'm on the white pills right now, so I'm about to finish a pack, but I'm not getting it refilled. Back to acne and condoms for me... it seems worth it at this point.

I have been on Yasmin for over a year. At first I thought it was a wonder drug. For the first six months there weren't any cramps...no bloating. Since then I seem to gain weight at the drop of a hat although my diet and exercise hasn't changed. Also, as I near the end of my pack every month, I seem to develop an itching comparable to a yeast infection except its external and not a yeast infection. I know this because I work in a medical lab and can test myself. It only happens at the end of each pill pack, but is not an acceptable side effect. I finish my last pill this week and am going to have my doctor switch me to a different pill. Am glad you had this site. Now I know that it isn't just me having problems with this wonder drug!