Yasmin and testosterone

I am the mother of a 23 year old who has been on Yasmin for 5 months.
Her dermatologist prescribed it for her without blood tests for acne. She went to a gynecologist who did a blood panel and said her testosterone levels were four times the normal level and agreed with having her put on Yasmin. We as her parents were totally against this decision.

Since she has been on Yasmin she has suffered severe abdominal pain with periods. She had an ultra sound and nothing was found. She then developed an infection in one eye. Very red and itchy. Took steroid cream for that. Then in July came down with strep throat. Antibiotics for that.
Since then she has had 3 bouts of strep. Every time she gets off
antibiotics she comes down with another bout within a week and a half.
She has also had a lynph node in her neck swell up to a huge size you
could easily see. Doctor said it was a byproduct of her strep.

She is now contemplating having her tonsils taken out. I am at my wits
end. I know all this chaos is from this pill and am trying to get her to get
off it. It is so sad and exhausting watching my previously healthy daughter go through this. And she still isn't convinced all this is due to Yasmin.

I have read so much on this pill. The doctor's hand it out like candy. Anyone got any words I might use to convince her to get off this killer?
Thanks.

I am 21 years old and I was on Yasmin for three in a half months (i stopped the last pack half way through). The first month i was on it, i had a lot of leg pains especially at night and sometimes to the point where i couldn't sleep. I went to the doctors and told her about this and she said it had nothing to do with the pill. My leg pain stopped after the first month i was on it and for two months i was fine. At the end of the third pack i began to get leg cramps again, but this time it was different i had little sharp pains here and there and tingling and my legs became extremely itchy. In the matter of two months i got spider veins and cellulite on my upper legs. Before the pill i had NOTHING on my legs. I searched the internet and found that birth control can cause spider veins because of the hormonal change so I thought my legs were itchy because of the spider veins so i stopped using the pill and made a doctors appointment. Three days after stopping i got my period for the second time that month. I also broke out with lumps that are red and extremely itchy. The doctor told me that the bumps are eczema and i also have a lymph node, which she said is from the eczema (which i find very strange). Two days after i broke out and got a lymph node, i got sick with a fever, extremely soar throat and a swollen neck. Today is my 7th day off the pill and im still sick. Hopefully i get better. But from being a 21 year old whos 95 pounds and having nothing wrong and starting this pill and getting spider veins, cellulite and then eczema all around the same time, i feel like im aging before my time. If anyone else has had any similar effects please let me know. Thank you.

I'm so glad to find this. It's taken me a while to put 2 and 2 together, but I am absolutely convinced that Yasmin is responsible for the subzero sex drive I've had for most of the past year. After reading this page, I also have an explanation for the brown discoloration on my forehead after I got a sunburn this spring -- it hasn't gone away! It's been a week and a half since I took any of the active pills, and I already feel SO much better. I was beginning to think I would never be interested in sex again! I have an appt. with my doctor this week, but there's no way I'm going back on Yasmin.

My experience with Yasmin was decreased aggression, mood stability and increased breast size. when I stopped taking the drug, I had an increase in aggression, less fatigue and no weight loss.

My T-3 levels are fine. My blood work is fine. Not many headaches. My mood became more depressed when I stopped taking Yasmin.

Not sure if I am suited to take the drug. So, I am starting Yasmin again to see if I notice side-effects. My estrogen levels were low prior to starting Yasmin the first time. So, I am wondering if my testosterone is a bit too high, and if Yasmin levels me out so to speak.

I think those with normal estrogen levels, prior to taking Yasmin, are badly affected by Yasmin. I wonder if those of us, with lower natural estrogen levels are as badly affected by Yasmin.

Will let this site know in a few months.

ALSO get this pill from Canada - ******
It costs $22 and it is the exact same packaging, etc.

Hope this helps

All those interested in joining a Class Action lawsuit against the makers of Yasmin. Info available from
apopa (at) eden (dot) rutgers (dot) edu. Written out like this so it doesn't get blanked out. Please join - we need as many women as possible to get a case together.

Possible ovarian cancer triggered by Yasmin.

You need to know this:

The present study suggests that circulating androgens and SHBG levels are *not* strongly associated with ovarian cancer risk,

although levels of fT may be associated with an increased risk among women diagnosed at relatively young age.

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jan;16(1):23-9

Free testosterone (fT)

Increased levels of estrogen stimulate ***increased levels of testosterone***and androgen (increased body hair).

Unlike all the other BC pills...

"Yasmin birth control pill is different than other traditional combined oral contraceptives.

Though it is combined of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drsp), which has the unique properties than other progestin based pills available in the market. In other combined pills,

***progesin is derived from testosterone***

whereas in Yasmin with drsp, progestin is derived from spironolactone."

We need progesin to come from testosterone to prevent ovarian cancer. We have to LOWER testosterone.

If you have dry eyes...heads up! And get a pelvic ultrasound. If it shows cysts...while most are benign and common...some are NOT.

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'm 23 and I got prescribed Yasmin because I have PCOS, where I only got my period every 3-9 months (very irregular) where I suffered severe period pain and my period would go for about 8 days. The doctor thought regulating my period would decrease the pain, which it did. My period is around 3-4 days, very light and no pain since starting Yasmin. But I have had migraines weekly, constant headaches, usually starting with my vision going blurry and seeing flashing white light. I also lost my appetite for the first month, but have gained weight. I was going to the gym and exercising everyday and now I have no motivation to exercise at all, but feel bloated ALL the time. I have had trouble sleeping since taking it. I suffered from depression and anxiety attacks about 2 years ago, but since taking Yasmin I have been feeling very depressed and had several anxiety attacks, although the anxiety has only started after being on it for 4 months. After having another migraine this week and having to leave work for teh second time in 2 weeks, I decided I was going to stop taking it. (I had also had 3 anxiety attacks this week) since stopping I have instantly felt relaxed, no anxiety, and I no longer feel depressed.

After suffering all of this for 4 months, 8 day periods and 4 days of being in pain doesn't seem so bad. The depression and Anxiety is the scaries part as I haven't experienced it for so long, and don't want to!

Does anyone know how long it takes to be fully out of your system? I just want to get back to normal weight, moods, energy levels etc as soon as possible!

I am only 20 and I am confused having read all these complaints about Yasmin. The thing is that the pills have been prescribed by my doctor because of a low-progesterone level and a high-testosterone level. He says this is the only way I can regulate my hormone levels. I am now having some side-effects like depression,headaches.And it's only been the second day of taking Yasmin. Could anyone help me?

My daughter was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as she wasn't getting her periods, and her testosterone was high (she is only 15). She is also developing dark facial and body hair. The endocrinologist put her on Yasmin because it has the least male androgens and should stop the hair growth and felt it was the best choice for her. He said that our goal is to preserve her fertility and stop the hair growth.

We started her on a quarter of a pill and will increase it over the next couple of weeks, due to the fact that a year ago she had to take bc pills for a couple of months to stop her flow (it went on for 8 weeks and was very heavy)... Everything she tried then made her sick. So we were concerned about that again. Unfortunately, she is having a terrible time with Yasmin, even at a quarter of a pill. She is taking it with her dinner, and still, it is making her sick to her stomach. She is lethargic, extremely emotional, nauseous (she even vomited at 4:00 this morning), bowel problems, very anxious, no appetite... and this is after a week of being on it. She is also having heart palps at night when she is in bed. I spoke with her doctor and he suggested we stick with it and her body should adjust with time. He feels that we don't have a lot of options with different pills because of the male androgens and the hair growth... Anyone have any suggestions?? I don't know how much longer we should stay with this... she has missed so much school because of this already and she looks awful. Thanks....

I only tried these pills for one month because I have high levels of testosterone and the doctor suggested Yasmin would be a lighter pill to fight the androgens without sideffects... I tried Androcure before that and the experience was awful BUT yasmin was even worse...

After only one month on Yasmin I gained 7 pounds, I feel totally bloated, unattractive, depressed, tired all the time, woke up sweaty with horrible back pain every morning (especially the last week), I got massive red spots all over my face, my period lasted for 2 weeks, my libido has disappeared, I got suicidal thoughts every single minute, fought with everyone for no reason at all... and whats worse I got candidiasis (a.k.a vaginal thrush) for the first time in my life, followed by itching, burning sensation, dryness and now I am under therapy to get rid of it.

Supposedly this pill would get rid of my hormonal imbalance but in fact it made me much worse than before... My only advice would be to stay away from it, no matter what. Its the worst pill I've ever been on and I threw away the packages for the next months.

Oh alos ladies
Yaz Yasmine advertise they lower testosterone so have that checked 3 of us have and ours were low

Natural biodentical hormone replacement may be a alternative check them out

I had the Sotto Pellets inserted a week ago wil report if it helps
I truly think the only thing that helps is time
I just pray to God that I stop the rollercoaster and get back to normal
Want to enjoy life

Anyone feel totally back to normal after all the horror?

Silke
I am still here. I am sorry I have not been checking the yasmin site lately so I did not see your post right away. I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well again. Can you tell me what your hormone levels were last time you got them done? Especially the testosterone and the progesterone?
I will try to log on to the new web site as well but I cannot get access at work right now. I will write you more as soon as I get home today. I just wanted to let you know I got your message. Talk to you soon.
BitterRN

hello again ladies!
i have been doing my monthly research again ( i do it every month when my symptoms seem to get worse again!) this month i have found the answer to the irritating dry eyes that many of us have suffered from and also the blurred vision and the problems wearing our contacts. the answer is to do with the antiandrogen in this pill,apparently it affects the fatty acids that protect the eyes,tear ducts etc. it casues a great depletion in our stores.this can happen naturally but only usually when a woman reaches her menopause and her levels of testosterone fall. So that would also explain the loss of sex drive that a lot of women experience as well as the hair loss,testosterone is being inhibited,this can lead to low mood,no sex drive and many of the other symptoms we all have. sorry if that all sounds a little all over the place but my memory is so bad i will forget what i have read!

don't forget to come and say hello in the new forum (click the link in my previous listing for the address.

sarah

Dear BitterRN,

No I didn't get to call the doc's office again because I had too much to work in my job last week. I'll try to get the results tomorrow.

I posted in another forum here in Germany (a forum with doctor's answering your posts), where I got the answer, that my testosterone may be a bit HIGH.... and also my prolactine. OMG I don't know what I should believe now..... One says EVERYTHING is ok with my hormone levels, another (including me!!) thinks, they are a bit low (also the estrogen!!) and the third thinks one of the ranges is too high.....???

I guess this shows how much our doctors really know... I'm asap trying to get another opinion. I feel that there is NOT everything ok with my results as my gyn wants to make me believe...

I'll post again, BitterRN, as soon as I have the results!!
Thank you again for caring so much!!

Best wishes
Silke

Kim
Hi BitterRN here.
All I can tell you about your hormone levels is what I too have experienced myself.
I had my hormones tested by blood and saliva 3 months after I quit bcp.
Both tests showed estrogen and progesterone levels as normal.........HOWEVER
On my saliva test My level was 11... Normal is 20-50 (I am sure I run on the higher end of that scale as I have or should say HAD the oily skin, oily hair, smalller breasts before yasmin..) This level is extremely low, and the test level stated LOW.
My blood tests drawn at exactly the same time on the SAME EXACT DAY, read normal (at the very lowest end of the scale) so my gyn said, all levels are normal.
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I had the results evaluated by a bioidentical Dr. later she said no, the blood levels were not "normal" and her words were "for an 80yr old maybe, but not for you"

So long story short, I kept testing, with saliva tests month after month (they have to be done at a specific time every month) and here is what happened.....

Month 4 after stopping,
My estradiol went to 0.8 now in the low range
Progesterone dropped to 72 now in the low range
Testosterone went UP to 15 still low range but higher.
Cortisol went up to 9.3 High ranges are 3-8. So just a little high probably from stress.
Symptoms, still feeling up and down with ? improvement.

Month 6 after stopping, (I skipped a month due to expense, I pay out of pocket for all these tests)
MY estradiol is range but still all of my symptoms are not gone
Cortisol still a little high at 8.9.
I am feeling better than before and symptoms are resolving, but I am not feeling getting better as quickly as I would like, so I do something REALLY REALLY stupid...

I try to start my old bcp ortho novum, thinking I did well on it all those years (12 yrs) and my hormones are pretty well getting to be more normal...or so I thought, now looking back not really, still had a ways to go, but I was not thinking clearly, and started them, at first I felt like things were getting back to normal, but about 12-15 after being on it, I felt the anxiety coming back. I stopped them on day 15, and it was like all the symptoms started over again (really wanted to die, How could I have been so stupid?) I believe I would have really felt better by now if I had not tried to do this.

Anyway, I saliva tested 1 month after and I already knew before the tests came back that my testosterone had fallen again to 17
My estrogen was normal at 1.3
Progesterone was really low at 16!!!!!! normal is 100-600
cortisol high at 11.

Next month after stopping
estrogen low again at 0.9,
Progesterone coming up at 52
testosterone 15 whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! somebody shoot me!
still feeling like sh*!
I really tried supplementing with bioidentical hormones at my doctors suggestion at this point, but It is really hard to find a dose because they are used to caring for much older women so it was a guessing game, consequently, I think i used a little too much testosterone,

Next month testing
progesterone dropped and testosterone shot up to 80!!
I called the lab and they said this indicated the dose I was using was too high, that since I tested while using this high dose, the test was registering high (in other words this was not my true level and it would come back down as soon as I stopped using it.) I asked why my progesterone went down as I was supplementing with progesterone creme as well, she said when one hormone is too high the other hormones become suppressed. Ahh.
So I quit supplementing altogether.
And now I am waiting for the next results, I should have them by monday or tuesday.
Just a side note, I am feeling better just as I was before I tried to take the bcp the 2nd time. It seems like this time I may be getting better faster? I dont know, depends on the day you ask me.
This is why i have been asking silke about her hormone levels and why I think that it may be her testosterone that is the problem, as some women have trouble getting their testosterone up after being on bcp or after pregnancy. I really feel this may be the problem as I did not feel better until this particular hormone started going up, as i felt crappy again as it dropped (especially with the anxiety) However, a doctor not familiar with hormones will say a Low normal level is normal. Its NOT.
This is just my experience. I cannot write it in stone. Hope it helps.
BitterRN

Silke
Hi, did you get copies of your labs?
Anxious to hear from you.
BitterRN

Kim,
I know it is scary. I was on a different bcp before yasmin for 12 plus years and went through 2 pregnancies and NEVER have I ever felt anything this scary or nerve wracking before in my life! I know 3 weeks is not very long, but it is long enough for that stupid drug to wreak havoc. I started to feel the effects about 5 weeks of being on it, and could not figure out what was going on. It took me till month 3 to realize it was the yasmin. Yes I know about the anxiety, and I could not look in a mirror either, even though my family kept telling me I looked the same, I didnt. I lost fat in my cheeks and jaw area and my skin went from oily to dry. I felt like it drained the "life" out of my face. But it has gotten better, it takes several months for your body to balance your hormones again. Have you ever been on bcp before?
I can tell you what I think is going on. I think yasmin suppresses your testosterone and progesterone (the androgen hormones in your body) As testosterone falls or remains low I feel it causes a lot of anxiety in the body because these are the hormones that are responsible for overall sense of wellbeing, energy, muscle repair, the list goes on and on. If you want a good website to read up on these hormones, salivatest.com has good info under hormones 101, they also do saliva testing on this website which I have been doing every month since 3 months after I quit yasmin, and I have seen how out of whack my hormones are and how long it has taken to even get back to a near normal range, and it takes a while. Keep in mind though you are already almost 1 and 1 1/2 months into being off yasmin, the turn around time to when you start to feel better more days than bad is usually at 2-3 months. Remember you are not alone. The yasmin bottomed out your natural hormones to replace them with synthetic hormones and now that the synthetic hormones have stopped it is trying to replace all those "receptor sites" back with your natural hormones and that is pretty much why you are not feeling so good.
Try to eat organic (no pesticides, hormones)
Stay away from caffeine, lots of water
Take vitamins, B complex vitamins worked well for me
Rest and dont try to exercise too vigorously.
Take care and keep in touch. There are lots of caring women on this site.
Bitter RN

Silke
Im sorry I wrote that last post so fast it was confusing and I didnt even sign! Its me, bitterRN. Anyway I got those lab ranges from this website... www.earlymenopause.com/tests.htm

Dont let the name scare you, I dont think you are in menopause, but possibly having some kind of ovarian dysfunction where your ovaries are not producing enough androgens.(testosterone and progesterone)

Anyway please let me know what your doctor says and dont forget to ask him the normal lab ranges for each hormone right down to the measurement (example ng/dl or ng/ml) or better yet try to get a copy and it will have the normals listed next to your results. The other labs the LH, FSH, Estradiol looked pretty normal, I dont know why he tested Prolactin?? unless this was progesterone? But I dont think the testosterone is normal. Let me know.
BitterRN

hi all,
just a quick update,i went to see my gp today. i had some test done last month,i had fsh,testosterone and progesterone. i was tested on day 3 of my cycle. according to my gp my results were all "normal" but in the low end of normal. so basilcally i have low levels of the major hormones. my period came this month after 29 days which is an improvement on the 33-38 days i have had since i came off yasmin. I am still experiencing problems in the 10-12 days leading up to my period but they basically seem like really exaggerated forms of pms. i am going to try adding some agnus castus (vitex) to my list of vitamins to see if that will help. will keep you all posted!

silke.
let us all know how you get on with your results and how you are feeling.

Guest 31792
Give it some time, your hormones need to adjust.
When we take synthetic hormones we shut off our body producing hormones which take their place and then when we go off the pill the faucet has to turn back on in our bodies and replace the synthetics, this takes some time usually they say 2-3 months but it seems with yasmin it can take longer depending on the person. The hardest thing is patience. Just hang in there, eat well (organic seems best) get plenty of sleep, and take good care of yourself right now. K. Best wishes BitterRN

Silke
Me again, sorry about the rushed answer, I wanted to write more but didnt have time. So yeah, I think your levels have been trying to come up, but may have for some reason dropped- Have you been exercising more since that heavy period, or more stressed out? The body will use more testosterone during these times (to recover your muscles with exercise.) to support the body with stress. This would have caused a decline perhaps in the reserves of testosterone you may have built up then. (This is just a theory based on what I have read and talked with my doctors and experienced myself Silke, I am not trying to diagnose you okay? Im just trying to point you in the right direction for medical care) So anyway, if you had a decline then that may explain the spotting the next two months, especially with the virus, the drop in testosterone may have caused the lowered immune system allowing you to catch the virus and then your body is really going to have trouble fighting it caused it is already in an unbalanced state. Even though it seems your body was starting to recover and you were menstruating though Silke 1 year and a half seems a long time for this recovery (though I think it may have to due with the amount of time you were on the yasmin as well) but when I read that your periods returned I was so happy for you but then in the next post you wrote the next month you had mentioned just spotting and that is what prompted me to see how you were now because I had a feeling that it may not have fully returned as it had the previous month (the one with the heavy bleeding) did it seem normal? If you had continued to have regular bleeding the next two cycles and continued to feel better than I would have thought oh good her hormones are balancing out, but when you said that you had only spotting AND that you were starting to feel bad again, I think that maybe your body is trying to fight an uphill battle and It cannot quite seem to fill it up to the reserves that it needs to be at. In other words you cannot make testosterone as fast as your body is demanding it leaving you on empty or quite near it . Do you understand where I am coming from? This is why I think you should consider getting your hormones tested, but only from a doctor who understands hormones particularly bioidentitical hormones(natural hormones.) That is why I gave you the name of the doctor in Spain, he specializes in this kind of therapy, but more importantly he can test your hormones and read them correctly. I tried to google doctors in germany who specialize in bioidentical hormones and I could not find anything which suprises me because I read an article that they started practicing this therapy first in europe in 1935! So maybe you could find someone. I understand what you mean about going to another doctor for useless information (I went through 3) and spent lots of wasted money! Its aggravating I know.
Please, I hope you do not think that I am being pushy and please remember it is your health and your body and you know what is best for it. I am curious to see what will happen on the first of Nov. as well, maybe your menses will return fully and you will start feeling better again. I hope so Silke, I really do.
Also I had a few more ?'s if you dont mind, how is your memory/concentration as compared to before? How about your sleep?Any trouble? Do you feel aged just overall?
One more thing, I wanted to give the website of that Dr and procedure (which Im not saying you need) it just has interesting info. on it. Its Sottopelletherapy.com

Ok I better go. Volume 10 is complete!!! :)
Take care Silke
BitterRN

Silke,
Hi bitterRn

Sophie, Sarah, BitterRN,

so glad to see that you are here. And even if you think you couldn't help, believe me: YOU ALL DO IT alone with your encouraging words. Thank you so much for trying to help me not to loose hope again completely. It's relieving to see, that I'm not alone... Every single post of you three moved me to tears.

Sophie, yes, you maybe right. 5 years with Yasmin were definitely a long time, MUCH TOO long. And yes, perhaps I should have much more patience than others who have only been on this hellsent drug for a few months. That's what my mum and my husband also keep telling me every day. But it's so difficult to accept, that there always can be a setback after a time, where you feel pretty good (as I did for the past few weeks, or 2 - 3 months...). You just think "Well, it HAS to stay that way now and I have to be through that all for good!" And it's been such a long time without Yasmin and still everything in my body is so incredibly out of whack sometimes.... :(

And BitterRN, you are also right, hormones are fluctuating over the weeks and even month after month. I still felt that changes every 2 weeks (well, though never that heavy as I now do again.....). And your theory about the testosterone sounds more and more interesting to me. I was really wondering, why that first period about 3 months ago was that heavy and long and why the last two periods where that light (the second was nearly not there, just a kind of spotting for 3 days...) and short. Well, at the moment I've got that sore breasts again just like every time around the 20ieth until the end of a month. That always happened the last 3 months!! So I'm just wondering if my period or at least the spotting will come again too around starts of November......

Perhaps that bad cold was the reason for the testosterone to get low again (well, the immune system surely had to work very hard to fight against that virus and that may have caused an imbalance in other things again....).

But I really think I should have a hormonal test done and see, how my hormones might have changed in the meantime (last hormonal test was around June 2005....). Wish me the power to go to another doc..... I haven't visited any of them since June 2005! I was so done with all that senseless docs visits..... And I still don't have very much trust in them since I went through so much bad experiences with doctors in 2004/2005.....

My only hope is: The last time I had a cold (October 2004!) I still took the Yasmin and that DEFINITELY was the reason for my complete breakdown in December. So I just try to believe (and hope), that this time everything will be different and my now again upcoming muscle problems, the dizziness, tiredness and so on won't get worse and worse, because my body surely will get better in balance because there's nothing "disturbing" it anymore......

Sarah, yes, I've heard of that, too (things have to get worse, until they finally get better fo good) and I so much hope that you are right!!

Thank you again for being there and god's bless to you!! We HAVE to get through this and WE WILL!!!!!

If only there were a few women who have been on Yasmin as long as me or some who have been off Yasmin for longer than 1 - 2 years already... Is there anybody??? Would be so good to hear, how you all are doing!!

See and read you all soon!!

love,
Silke

Hello Guest (msg 31031)

I went throught the exact same thing your daughter is going through and am still suffering (5 months so far). It always seems to be cyclic getting better than worse...

Is your daughter more estrogen based (softer features) or more testosterone based (masculine, etc). It seems that girls who are mroe testosterone based have the worst times getting off of Yasmin.

I don't know what the best advice to give you because if I say to wait it out, the lenght of time to get better might severly affect her mind and cause other problems.... You might want to discuss with a gynocologist to put her back on a pill that is opposite of Yasmin... more progesterone based.. then as she improves I feel that she might have a much easier time to get off this type of pill rather than Yasmin.

For me, I am trying a low dose of Prozac (10mg) to help with my severe digestion problems. I absolutely refused ssri's before thinking that time will heal everything but now at a point where I need to try something and I know that ssri's will not affect the hormone balance as much as bcp's.

Good luck and I will let everybody know how Prozac works on me.

Silke-
So glad to hear from you. I am just interested to know because I had lab tests done (blood) as well and mine came back "normal" low normal so I ordered a saliva test online for a hormone profile because I read that saliva tests are more accurate than blood tests for hormones and my labs came back that my testosterone is way low as well as some of my other hormones which were too low for a woman my age. ( By the way I have been off the yasmin since the end of Nov. 2005) So now I am looking into bio Identical hormone replacement, which is a natural hormone much like the hormones our bodies make already NOT the synthetic junk in BCP's. I think in my case that the yasmin supressed my androgens and testosterone which are the male hormones, guess what these hormones are responsible for? skin elasticity, mood, sleep balance, cholesterol levels, muscle integrity... among other things...hmm sound familiar? a lot of things we and other people on this site are complaining about. I am still looking into finding a good doctor for the BIH replacement but you can read up on this on www.salivatest.com click on 24 HOUR HORMONE HOTLINE on the bottom paragraph of the second box on the left hand side of your screen, then on the next screen scroll down to 630 ANDROGENS: Testosterone and DHEA listen to what the hormones are responsible for. 627 All about Hormones is very informative as well, actually if you click on a lot of the numbers there you can learn a lot, as well as about saliva testing and BIHR. You can order a saliva test by clicking on the home page you started out on, at the very top it says order test kit. I ordered HORMONE PROFILE I. That measures your estridiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol levels in the am. This will give you a basic idea of where your hormones are at. I would be curious to see where your levels really are as well. Let me know what you think. Bitter RN-

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

I've been on several different bcs in the past years. If you are like myself I'm prone to hair loss when my hormone levels are out of whack. My doctor switched me to Yasmin becaus the hormones are derived from something other then testosterone. And guess what ~ I'm a 22 year old with quite a few noticable bald spots! Time for yet another bc switch!

Dear Sherry,

I FEEL your pain. I've never experienced ANYTHING like this and HOPE that someone brings a lawsuit!!! I see my gyno tomorrow(a woman) to get my a blood levels tested, including progesterone, testosterone, etc. She argued with me for MONTHS telling me that there was NO WAY yasmin could be causing these problems. Can't wait til she sees what a "butterball" I've become! Gotta be able to laugh, which you seem to be able to do! It's hard, I KNOW, but it will save your life!

Rita

Hormone tests

Hi ladies I had my testosterone, estradiol, DHEA and estrogene levels checked, my results have come back and the doctor said they are fine, how can I find out if this is true? I am picking the results up tomorrow.
I am also having a CT scan tomorrow so hopefully put an end to my paranoia of brain tumours and the anxiety will ease.

Joanne.

Hello All,

To the recent posts about losing hair. I can imagine this would be very alarming for you. The loss of hair after Yasmin appears to be very common and is most likely due to your bodies attempt to re-balance your hormones. Yasmin decreases your testosterone/oestragen and increases your progesterone. When you come off it, your body automatically tries to re-balance these levels causing your testosterone and oestrogen levels to sky rocket, and your progesterone levels to plummet. These hormones are the reason that so many of us have an increase in libido, increase in water retention, increase in anxiety and last but not least, hair loss.

I would recommend that anyone off Yasmin have a blood test (specific to check your hormone levels...usuallly conducted on day 21 of your cycle). Any 'average' blood test will not show these important indicators.

I had the above test last week (almost 7 months after getting off Yasmin as I was still not feeling 100%) and it showed exactly the above....my testosterone was high, my progesterone was low. I have now started the herbal 'Agnus Castus' to re-balance these levels, and assist in my 'recovery'. I just wished I had done this test months ago.

Any doctor that is not able to link your symptoms to your hormone levels is not looking properly. See a doctor that specialises in womens health. A typical GP is unlikely to look deep enough.

Good luck and big hugs to all.

I have been told that I have PCOS too since I stopped Yasmin 9 weeks ago. As some of you know about a month after I stopped taking Yasmin I started having horrible side effects...increased acne, increase facial/body hair, anxiety, depression and most of all EXTREME HAIR Loss!!! I demanded that my GYN run tests. She insisted nothing was wrong with me and that I needed to see a therapist for my anxiety. She finally agreed to check my hormones and guess what??? My testosterone was extremely high. My dheas were also somewhat elevated. I knew something was wrong. She didn't even have the nerve to follow up with me. She had her nurse tell me. They apparently referred to me an endo who refused to see me, but talked to me on the phone and said it sounds like PCOS. She told me the GYN should have run more tests and that i need to see a Derm. Again this was all done by phone. Here's the problem...no one is doing any of this follow-up. I am totally getting the run around. I am so frustrated. Has Yasmin caused these problems or just simply prevented them while i was on it for 3 years?

UPDATE OF GYN APPT AFTER STOPPING YASMIN!! (REVISED)
Note: Disregard previous message from me, b/c it got all messed up!

Well, I had my GYN visit today. I told her about the symptoms I have been having since I stopped Yasmin 7 weeks ago- hair loss, dry skin, hair growth (on chin and chest), increased acne, no period, etc. She says that I just have anxiety which is causing my hair to fall out. She says that stopping the pill doesn't cause hair loss and being on the pill should not have caused the amount of anxiety I have. When I told her that while on yasmin my blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate had increased she said nothing. When I told her that my potassium was low while on Yasmin (the most common side effect due to the diuretuc), she said nothing. She just kept going back to anxiety. How can anxiety cause hair to fall out from my head and grow everywhere else? After a lot of persuasion, she agreed to run hormone tests to check my testosterone and DHEA. But she siad that if they were normal, then nothing was wrong and I should see a therapist. She refused to believe that any of my problems could have been caused from being on Yasmin. I cried for an hour after my appt and couldn't return to work. Am I really just crazy???

Yasmin has been a life saver for me. I am sorry to hear all these negative comments. But I lost 20 pounds, I have been more energized, my libido has stayed the same or increased dramatically, I had a high level of testosterone before taking it, now i am leveled out, yes, my breasts are tender but they are also a size bigger and lovely. I take it at night. The only thing i notice is that i am more edgy at times and i eat a bit at a time because if i eat a full meal like before i will get naseaus, but overall this pill has been the best! I hate Ortho. Ortho bloated me and made me crazy!! WHat every woman should know is that you should take a hormonal evaluation and see how they are, perhaps you have an estrogen imbalance and this is the reason you have all these crazy side effects when you add bcp's in your life. HIgh estrogen is the cause for depression many times, swelling, bloating, weight gain, etc... I went through a million doctors and had to self-diagnose many times and trust me in this world we must take our health in our hands before the doctors!