Yasmin and water weight

These reviews are pretty scary to me ... I've been taking Yasmin for about 5 years. Late last year, I started getting what seemed like a full period (not just spotting) almost exactly two weeks into my pill pack. Then I'd get another full period when I got to the end of the pack, and I went ahead and took the sugar pills because I didn't want to mess around with my cycle (which I've done in the past, with negative results). My doc switched me to reclipsen for a month (which I've read bad things about too, but not as bad as Yasmin!). I've had NO sex drive for years now, which I've blamed on myself, but it's really affected my relationship w/ my fiance. It's hard because I just can't get excited. I loved Yasmin and recommended it to all my friends because it kept my water weight down. Last month when I went off of it, I gained about 8lb in just a few weeks. I attributed it to going on vacation and not exercising for a week (I normally eat very well and never miss a workout). But since then, the weight has stayed and is very slowly coming off. I'm a personal trainer and I never usually struggle like this. I've also been bloated and it seems like I have an excessive amount of abdominal bloating.
Anyway, after a month on reclipsen, I decided to switch back to Yasmin to see if the month on another drug "tricked" my cycle back into following Yasmin (wishful thinking!). Sure enough, got my period two weeks in. Also got lots of bloating, constipation (never normally a problem for me), and moodiness/ depression. I've had "stomach issues" for years, and I've even had a colonoscopy with no real diagnosis. My abdomen is always tender to the touch. I never would've thought Yasmin could be a cause, but now I really wonder. Also, in the last couple weeks that I took Yasmin again, I noticed days where it felt hard to breathe, and I just blamed myself and my weight, figuring it was the few extra things I ate that made me bloat. But now reading other experiences, I realize how unusual my recent experiences are for me. Now I'm not sure what to do -- I don't think reclipsen is a good answer. I want to go off pills completely for a while, but I'm really afraid of weight gain (Yasmin is addictive that way -- I love how it's kept my water weight down and I've been afraid to go off of it). Fortunately, I haven't had the blood clotting (to my knowledge) or acne. But I do have overuse injuries that never seem to heal -- now I wonder how much those relate to Yasmin. I won't be taking it anymore!

i started taking Yasmin after i had my 5th child in July 2002. i was about 70 pounds over weight and my gyno said i would lose weight on this new wonder pill. i did, i lost 30 pounds and felt better than i ever had.
My skin was clear, my period light and i just consistently lost weight. i did notice that i was urinating quite a bit but didn't think much about it. About 3 years into taking the pill, my pharmacist mentioned to me that i should be having potassium levels drawn with this pill. I was a bit confused because i had read the literature that came with Yasmin when i started taking it(im a nurse and i just always research new meds i take) and it never once mentioned blood work. i had to harass my gyno because he thought it was useless but to appease me and because i mentioned to him i take a lot of ibuprofen for back pain he humored me and did the test. It was a little high but nothing crazy so i let it go even tho i mentioned that i was getting horrible muscle spasms all the time. he said my calcium was probably low. i accepted that because i had had 5 kids and figured i had depleted my supply. he mentioned that i could take Yasmin continuously without taking a sugar pill to keep me from having a period, said it was completely safe. so for the next 3 years i only had periods about 4 times a year. i raved to everyone how wonderful this pill was. i was still having muscle cramps but it was a small price to pay for no zits, no periods, no water weight, and i could eat whatever i wanted and had lost 30 pounds after one year of being on it though i never lost any after that.i didn't notice my hair was greasier than normal but i never connected it to the pill. i wanted to take the pill forever! that didn't work out thought when i lost my insurance and was forced to go off it because i just couldn't afford 70 a month. within the first couple of weeks i noticed acne appearing all over my face especially my nose and chin. i was 36 years old! far past the acne stage! i also noticed i felt bloated and my first period that came was like someone had released a flood gate. i went through 2 boxes of super tampons and a bag of pads in 3 days. thats about the time i noticed the weight gain. slowly over a period of 3 months i put on 3 or 4 pounds a week to now a whopping total of 30 pounds in 3 months. i was devastated. i knew that there were side effects of any medication and you assume those risks while taking it but not from not being on it anymore! the only good thing to come from getting off of it was those annoying muscle spasms completely stopped. i had been to the point that i couldn't even flex my toes or they would charley horse i had even gotten them in my jaw from yawning! now they were gone and replaced by fatigue, extreme weight gain and horrible acne and periods. i started blowing up and it didn't seem to be mainly weight, it seemed like fluid. i didn't urinate half as much as i used to it was like my body forgot how to make its own diuretic hormone. i could take a water pill and lose 10 pounds in 4 hours of fluid i knew that was not a good thing. i was scared as well as baffled. i went to my internist and he was shocked when he saw me my lungs were full of fluid, i had put on 30 pounds and was short of breath he ordered thyroid function tests and guess what? out of the blue my perfectly functioning thyroid (i had levels drawn the year before in routine tests) had stopped working when i got off Yasmin! so now i have to take diuretics because i don't seem to make enough of my own which i believe is thanks to Yasmin and i also feel it damaged my thyroid since its mechanism of action is inhibiting your adrenal system and thats what controls your thyroid. i am seriously considering filing a class action law suit based on the fact that for 3 years i never had my potassium levels checked because it wasn't advised by the manufacturer and i have experienced damage from this pill that i was not warned about in the package insert or by my doctor. i had the right to be informed and if they didn't know then the fda should have never approved it. i feel like ive been a guinea pig, and if anyone feels the same my number is ****** if we stand together maybe we can make them take this off the market and find out what has happened to those of us hurt already

I'm 16 years old, I started taking Yasmin on November 3rd, 2007 as prescribed by my dermatologist.
I noticed that even after my period was over(my period came on November 3rd) I started spotting afterwards, for the WHOLE month. It eventually subsided when I started a new pack. I guess they did make me feel moody and to go along with it I had to deal with a bunch of stress. Prior to starting Yasmin, I was also using diet pills which really worked, and after starting Yasmin I noticed that I just retained my weight or gained probably 5 pounds of water weight?
And I guess I'm being taken off of it when I'm finished with my current pack.
Reading all these responses made me feel better about it all, I guess I wasn't the only one on the same page with the symptoms. :D

I started taking Yasmine in 2005 and almost imeemdiatley I started to have severe anxiety, depression, no sex drive at all and worse of all extremely bad migranes especially a few days before getting my period and during. My life had to be put on hold when I had my period because of the migranes. I stopped taking the Yasmine 3 weeks ago because I just couldn't take the migranes anymore. I have noticed I have gained some weight, my skin and hair feels alot oilier, and my hair has been falling out more than usual which is kind of freaking me out, don't have mood swings. My sex drive has gotten better which is a relief. I still don't know if my migranes will have gone away during my period. I'm just curious can anyone tell me if these side effects (hair loss, weight gain, oily skin) will go away after a few months.
When I went off another type of pill I actually lost weight, why is this one different?

I am a 26yr-old, another victim of Yasmin.

My story's gonna be a bit long, but hope you can bare with it.
Please also forgive me for my incorrect grammer as English is not my mother tongue....but I hope I can get my message across to all of you.

Here it goes!

Ever since I had my first period at a late age of 18 (I was anorexic and severely underweight btw the age of 14-15 when I was supposed to start my mensus had I been healthy,,,,), my mensus had never been regular.

I only had about 3 full-fledged mensus per year, with occational spotting.
Apart from that, I was a happy, bubbly, cheerful lady.
Nevertheless, worried about the side effects of "not shedding", I made my first visit to the gyn.

The Dr. ultrascanned me.
Both my uterus and ovaries were normal in size.
She ran a blood test for my hormones and thryroid level.
They both came out fine.

So then she recommended me to take Yasmin, which will help to regularise my cycle and "shed" all the accumulated lining.

I was quite happy during my first box as I lost my water weight, and my skin cleared.

But then the nighmare began......

Half-way thru my second box, I suddenly became sooooo depressed.
Sure, I did have some ups and downs prior to taking Yasmin, but the ones I'm experiencing while on Yasmin is just beyond anyone's imagination.

Prior to taking Yasmin, I was confident with myself, which I believe made me an attractive person.

HOWEVER, ever since the onset of depression, I seem to have lost all the confidence in me.

All that "self-esteem" I used to possess is now GONE.

I feel so insecure about myself, and don't feel good about myself even when I'm in my favourite outfit.

Before Yasmin, I was so easily "turned-on" !: listening to my favourite tune turned me on, watching drama with my fav actors turned me on, thinking about what to have for dinner turned me on.... just about any thought was enought to mass-produce dopamine in my brain.

But these days, none of these make me happy.
Nothing makes me happy, but anything can make me go DOWN.

I've been off Yasmin for 5 days now.
I do feel slightly better than 5 days ago.
But I'm suffering from elevated heart beat around midnight, which is making me insomniac.

But my biggest concern is ;

WOULD I REGAIN THAT "GLOW" IN ME?
WOULD I REGAIN MY CONFIDENCE?

Also,

Is taking Evening Primrose Oil beneficial to regain my peaceful hormonal level?
Can I start taking EPO directly after stopping Yasmin?

By the way, I notice that I look older (as in aged) ever since taking Yasmin. Does BCP make you age faster? Or am I just imagining things out of depression?

PLEASE HELP....

Thank you for spending your time to read my story,,,,,,

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

There are a lot of negative experiences on here, so I thought I should share my positive one. I have been on birth control off and on for about 6 years. I was on orthotricyclin for the majority of the time-off and on. After getting horrible near migraine headaches on orthotricylin every Friday before my period for about 5 months in a row my doctor and I decided to try a different pill. I was on trilevelin (sp) for 4 months and gained a few pounds and felt easily irritated and emotionally different-just cried easily and not myself. I've been on Yasmin for a month and have had a great experience. I lost the water weight I'd gained and just verified with my boyfriend that my PMS was hardly even there. Everyone is different and has different hormone levels, but so far I am very happy with Yasmin. I've been migraine free tthe whole month!

Has anyone out there had an increase in urination? I started Yaz in Feb. and since then I've been peeing like a race horse. My OBY said it was probably an overactive bladder, typical for a peri-menopausal woman. I had tests for bladder infections and they read negative. I was in the middle of relocating my family across many miles and I just put up with the symptoms. Now I find out there is microscopic blood in my urine and I am scheduled for a slew of tests probing for tumors, cancers, polyps, etc. in my bladder and kidneys. My Dad had bladder cancer so I'm pretty scared. However, I am starting to wonder if there is a Yaz connection. I hate the thought of returning to periods where I couldn't leave the house because I was bleeding so much but all the risks here are scaring me. I don't have an OBY here yet but assuming I am not harboring cancer or an other disease (i.e., kidney stones) I think I'll go off Yaz. I already have horrible migraines and acne so I'm wondering if it will all get worse. My headaches are the same (2-3 times a month) with Yaz and my skin is better. It's been pretty good for water weight but as I said, I am in the bathroom way too much.

i have endometriosis, as well. i tried doing the vitamin thing for a couple of months but my peroids didn't get any easier, so i gave-in and went on BCPills. i was on loestrin which worked great for the 1st 3 months but then stopped working and i gained 8-10 pounds of water weight. i took a month off and went on yasmin and LOVED it! for the 1st 4 months, it was a dream come true - i lost the water weight, had TONS of energy. well, when i started working out again, around month 4 - i was fine doing cardio but as soon as i'd add weights to the routine, i would be hit with TOTAL exhaustion, muscle fatigue, etc.. i thought i was coming down w/ the flu or a cold and would take some time off...only to try again and have the same effect. this went on ALL summer - then i found out it might be YASMIN!!! apparently the increased levels of potassium in the blood can mess w/ the acidity in the blood and make the muscles hurt. my OBGYN refuses to accept it could be the pill (suggested i get tested for fibromyalgia, depression, etc.). i'm off of the pill now for a week and am still REALLY muscle-achey (sorta feels like the flu). does anyone else have this? does anyone have experience w/ how long it takes this crap to get out of the body? i just started at the gym this morning, only adding cardio for awhile... i am so frustrated!! i'm getting married in 8 months and want to be buff for the wedding but keep getting sidetracked w/ exhaustion. *UGH* can't wait to get yasmin behind me.

I went off Yasmin four days ago after taking it for about 4 years. I am 36. Before Yasmine, I was on and off various pills since I was in college. I had never thought I had a problem with it until my doctor ran some tests and showed that I had extremely low testosterone levels. I then did some research and found that this can be caused by the pill, and side effects can be low libido and low energy/fatigue. This stunned me because for years I have been trying to figure out while I am tired all the time. I've gone to nutritionists, sleep clinics and psychopharmacologists to figure this out, and noone ever mentioned that it could be related to the pill and my testosterone levels! So, after four days of being off of it I can report that I definitely feel like I have more energy (perhaps at this point it's the placebo effect) and have a greater sense of well-being. I expect that I may break out a bit since my skin has been pretty great on it. In terms of hair loss, I see women post who experience hair loss on the pill as well as off, so I guess that remains to be seen. I also have noticed that my stomach and hips seem thinner and wonder if I was carrying around extra water weight due to the pill. I'll keep you posted on how things work out.

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

I think for most women in this world, you're going to like this side effect. I have seen a reasonable change in my breast size. I have been on Yasmin since Nov. 06 and I haven't had any problems with it at all. Also, I haven't experienced any weight gain at all. During my periods, I tend to have more water retention than I normally did before, but only during my period, and we're all bloated anyways at that time, you'll just notice you'll be using the bathroom more often. Overall, I love it, If you don't like water weight, I guess you can try something else, but I'd prefer water weight gain over regular weight gain which I had experienced from using other birth controls. Good luck!

i have been on yasmin for about 4 years now. ive had nausea once an a while, some irregular periods, and a little water weight gain which is common but besides that it has been fine. and for leeleeroz, you shouldnt worry too much because i have taken a few breaks on yasmin, and i had an experience where after 3 years of taking it, i stopped for a month, and became pregnant. maybe your body just needs time to adjust. everyone's body works different, just give it some more time.

Hi guest 37943,

Wanted to let you know I have been off Yasmin in the past for a few months at a time. My doctor provides them for me from the drug rep, if the office is out then some of us patients don't get it unless purchased. My only negativeness about getting off Yasmin is the water weight gain, I feel so bloated. Otherwise, mentally and physically for that time being I am fine. I've had blood work done yearly and so far so good. I've never stopped midpack. I was off of them for 6 months one time due to anxiety attacks and was put on zoloft and stopped yasmin, I went back to yasmin and eventually stopped zoloft. My only complaint was the bloating, I missed the diuretic. Everyone is different.

Hi everybody!

I can't believe what I've been reading. I was diagnosed with endometriosis and my gyno put me on Yasmin. I have started to have panic attacks, aweful pain in my back, mood swings, UTIs, had every test done under the sun to see what might be wrong with me, and extremly bad bloating. I go to the hospital almost every period because I'm in so much pain, and there I get needles of pain killers. I had no idea this stuff was so bad for you but I'm going to talk to my gyno about it. I was just wondering if any other women here have endometriosis and how bad their bloating has gotten with it. Apparently with this period I've gained 15-20 pounds of water weight. Has anyone else had this problem?

Kate

I had been on Yasmin for the past year and a half. At first when I went on it, I got severe GI upsets, running to the bathroom every 5-10 minutes. Then, my appetite and cravings picked up and now a year and a half later I have gained 15 lbs! My face was swollen, had no energy, very unmotivated to do anything, and a little bit of exercise wore me out! I also had loss of sexual drive! Guess I did not realize all this was happening while I was on it. I went of because of the bloating/weight gain and irregular periods ( I was not having any- just some spotting). I went off this past month and I immediately lost a lot of water weight! I also feel more energetic, and a lot less cravings for junk food! Wow, and my legs are not tingly anymore! What a change so far and it has only been 2 weeks!

Day 14 update:
blood pressure down from 130/90 to 110/70 (was 90/60 pre-Yasmin), lost 5 lb water weight (which it was supposed to help me with in the first place), have only had one panic attack, but it subsided quickly and wasn't that bad. Overall, I feel better and better every single day.

Erin:
I did become violent in terms of yelling and threatening a lot, but I don't think I ever hit or kicked him. I did have separation anxiety, which was progressively getting worse (I think I'm OK now). I'm not sure from your post--are you STILL on the pill? If yes, and if I were you, I'd talk to my doctor and see if maybe there is a better birth control alternative available.

Best of luck to everyone

Hi, I just wanted to post some problems I seem to be having also. I have been on Yasmin for almost 2 years now. I was put on them for water weight gain and heavy periods after my son was born. The pill seemed to help for a while but I have noticed about the last 6 months or so that my periods are becoming more and more heavy each month and I start cramping about 5 days before my periods now. Does anyone else have that problem? The pill seems to be helping with the water weight gain. I have also noticed every month around my period I get horrible headaches. My hair seems to be very dry and my labido is gone !!
Does anyone have a similar story to mine.

thanks,
tami

My hives are almost completely gone!
I had chronic hives (cholinergic urticaria) every day the entire time I was taking Yasmin. After being off of this for 3 months +, my hives are much much better. I switched to OvCon-35, and progressively the chronic hives have been relieved. I am just sorry that it took the doctors so long to figure this out. Actually, since I still have some minor breakouts, I'm switching again to Ortho-Tricyclen, because I did very well on it in the past. I hope that this post helps anyone else who has been having trouble with hives while on Yasmin.

Here is my post from June 6, 2005

I've been taking Yasmin for 1 yr and 4 months. 4 months after I began taking Yasmin, I started breaking out in hives every day, sometime so bad that I required steroid shots to relieve the hives (diagnosed as cholinergic urticaria). I also began gaining weight at an alarming rate. My doctors found that I was severely hypothyroid, and linked this to both the weight gain and the hives and began treating me with thyroid hormone. There has been little relief from the hives, and now my gyneocologist has finally admitted that Yasmin could be the cause. She says that I could either be allergic to the special type of progestin that is in Yasmin, or just sensitive to the hormone balance (some pregnant women experience hives like mine).

I actually really liked being on Yasmin before I began to think that it could be the cause of this major problem. My emotions have been better and more stable than ever before, and my periods have been very predictable and light. Lately though, my period has been getting shorter and shorter. My doctor says that this is because the Yasmin does not have enough estrogen for my body. I've felt really good also because of the diuretic that is included in Yasmin, and I'm expecting some water weight gain when I change to OvCon.

I have used many different birth controls (Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Tricyclen, DepoProvera). Every person's body is different, and that's why you can search for any birth control on this website and find similar amounts of postings with similar complaints. I think that after a couple of years on any birth control a woman's body begins to change and adapt and requires a different type of hormone balance to stay healthy. If switching to OvCon really solves the problem of my hives, I will never recommend this pill to anyone. I will post again to let you know if my hives have been alleviated.

Ladies.
I have experienced MANY of the side effects mentioned on this site(Thank GOD for this, by the way!), some more than others. I was only on YASMIN for 6 months and started having problems by the 4th month. The weight gaina and bloating started then. I am since working with a very knowledgeable nutritionist and she has helped me greatly. We are working with supplements to get my adrenal support back into sync. She weighed me and determined that I am carrying 4 pounds of water weight! I hightly recommend this approach, especially if your gyno if not supportive in this regard.

Best of luck to all,
RioRita

Hi everyone,
I posted on August 14th in a desperate emotional state after being on yasmin for just 2 weeks. I had lost alot of weight ( well, water weight ) , had awful IBS, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and constant painful bleeding that required painkillers so I could function.
Anyway, I took my last pill the day after that and I am pleased to say that I am almost back to normal! It took about 3 days for the symptoms to subside and now a week later I am feeling much better. Still feel a bit off my food but sex drive is back up , phew!
I started this pill to sort out the PMS blues but one thing I have learned is that I was actually not as bad as I thought. After feeling the lowest in the world I now appreciate how lucky I am to be healthy and not have anxiety problems and illness all the time. Why should I make myself ill just too avoid PMS? Crazy!
So the bleeding has stopped, I am taking iron, agnus cactus and a herbal water pill and I am hoping my cycle will be normal and regular like it was before.
So my advice to you all, just stop taking it now, its not too late, we can detox from this, you are not going mad! Maybe we should just learn to live with PMS, I find keeping a diary of my feelings and giving out a PMS warning to my boyfriend helps!
I have had a IUD (no hormone) for 2 1/2 years now, no unwanted pregnancies ,no bother, I highly recommend it!
Good Luck Girls x

Hey all,
Just to update those of you who want to know how long it takes for yasmin to completely flush out of your system. There is no real answer to that. Just like each persons reactions to yasmin cannot be compared to someone elses, the same is with detoxification. Some of you got better within days or weeks, and then there are those who still struggle after months.
I for one am now 3 months post yasmin. Whilst on the pill my reactions were relatively minor. However since I came off it i've been cursing the day I went on it. I mentioned on another post that initially I started to take it to regulate my period as I had an eating disorder.....like in not wanting to gain weight.
I was very advanced in recovery when I stopped yasmin and shoot..........i gained 8 lbs in water weight within 3 days. No period for 3 months thereafter and I keep being congratulated upon my pregnancy...lol...
You could imagine what this does to my ego and let alone recovery. I just slid back to all my old habits.
Also I'm still experiencing heart palp every night/low libido in bed and it deprives me from my sleep. So at night it's the palps, by day its the water weight so I have neither night nor day.
Whoever has any hesitations of starting this pill, true not all bodies are alike, but after seeing so many people suffer immeasurably, why become another victim when there are so many other options out there!
This forum is great ladies. At least I have where to vent my frustrations and I hope you all have a speedy recovery soon.
Me-at my wits end.
Take care,
Sherry

Hello Ladies, Joodles here with an update.

To re-cap, I am 46 years old, had been on birth control pills continually for 25 years, the last pill being Yasmin. I was on Yasmin from May 2004-May,2005.

My blood pressure was beginning to rise so my GYN told me to stop the Yasmin.

It has been 2 1/2 months off of Yasmin and I am slowly beginning to feel better. No more racing heart, dizziness, calf cramps, skin rash, hair falling out.

I have begun an herbal approach towards menopause. If you are interested the website for the herbs I take it is www.enzy.com. In addition to the Menopause herbs I also take Omega 3 Fish oil and Flax seed oil. Believe it or not my Female GYN suggested the herbal route versus synthetic!

It has been an awful withdrawel time. I am starting to calm down emotionally and my hair and skin are getting better. I had awful water weight gain the first 6 weeks which is almost gone. I am getting my sex drive back too!

PLEASE all of you hang in there. It DOES get better, for some quicker, some slower.

Let us gather strength from each other's messages and words of encouragement!

God Bless,

Joodles

Post your symptoms since stopping Yasmin!!!

Hey everyone it's Kay21 here and I just wanted to post my 3 month off Yasmin update. Because stopping the pill is a hard decision, I figured we should all post are updates here to help/support those who are planning to stop or who have recently stopped Yasmin.

I have been off of Yasmin since April 17. As some of you already know, I was experiencing horrible side effects while on Yasmin for 3 years (particularly stomach problems, vaginal dryness, muscle cramps, increased blood pressure and heart rate and anxiety).

The first 1 month off of Yasmin was okay. In fact, I felt the best I had ever felt in a while. My blood pressure and heart rate decreased and the migraines and muscle cramps went away. But when I hit the 2 month (8 week) mark, I felt HORRIBLE. I was severely depressed and anxious. I was crying all the time and felt a severe sense of DOOM! The physical symptoms also started to become problematic. The acne increased and I started growing more facial hair. The worse symptom, however, was that I started losing a ton of hair. I would lose stray hairs all day (probably about 200 a day). Since I have hit the three month mark, the hair loss has gotten MUCH WORSE! Now I am losing CLUMPS of hair all day. I have seen several doctors about this. Some say it's because of stress and a few (a derm, GYN and endo) say that hiar loss is common after stopping bcp. I have already loss about 1/3 of my hair.

I am also really concerned, because I have not had a period since April 22. So my doctor has put me on provera for 10 days to induce a period.

For those who have stopped Yasmin, what have your symptoms been (i.e. increased acne, weight gain, anxiety, etc.). Has anyone experienced hair loss? How long did it take to get a period???

Thanks...

Hi -- I've been posting on this site for awhile, but I had to switch my user name for some reason, it used to be HoovieDoo. Anyway, I am so frustrated with this pill! It's been almost 7 months (next week) that I've been taking it. And the last period that I had was so horrible I thought I was really going to pass out. Right now I'm supposed to be on my period but it's not here! And, I've had a vaginal infection all month, thanks to Yasmin, so I haven't had intercourse = not pregnant.

What really irritates me is that my mom went to her Gyno, and her gyno's nurse practioner is who I see -- but she went to her Gyno with some questions and concerns I had, all he did was tell her all of my side effects were stress related and gave her another, DIFFERENT kind of pill to 'try' for me. I am so frustrated by this it's not even cool. I've tried to have a positive attitude this whole time because I don't want this pill to get the best of me. I'm not sure what to do because my body is, unfortunately, used to Yasmin now, and I don't particularly want to change again. Her gyno also told her he doesn't advise IUD's for women who haven't had children :( hmm... I'm just frustrated.

As for the ladies that are dealing with weight gain after getting off the pill -- I am afraid of the same thing happening to me, as I did not gain, but lose weight while taking Yasmin, I'm not losing anymore, it has leveled off. However, as words of encouragement, it is probably just the change in horomones or it could be water weight, remember that it is a diretic, so now you're body is retaining the water that was once lost -- which will cause 5-10lb weight gain on some days. I don't know, but I know what its like to gain weight quickly and in unwanted places! This happened with me and Alesse & Levlite & Aviane.

Sorry for all the complaining. I needed to get it off my chest and I know my boyfriend, friends, and mom are tired of hearing me complain about how frustrated I am :) I guess it doesn't seem as bad typing. Feel free to email me and we'll chat about all of this crazy mess {******}

Have a good one ~ Aaron

I've been taking Yasmin for 1 yr and 4 months. 4 months after I began taking Yasmin, I started breaking out in hives every day, sometime so bad that I required steroid shots to relieve the hives (diagnosed as cholinergic urticaria). I also began gaining weight at an alarming rate. My doctors found that I was severely hypothyroid, and linked this to both the weight gain and the hives and began treating me with thyroid hormone. There has been little relief from the hives, and now my gyneocologist has finally admitted that Yasmin could be the cause. She says that I could either be allergic to the special type of progestin that is in Yasmin, or just sensitive to the hormone balance (some pregnant women experience hives like mine).

I actually really liked being on Yasmin before I began to think that it could be the cause of this major problem. My emotions have been better and more stable than ever before, and my periods have been very predictable and light. Lately though, my period has been getting shorter and shorter. My doctor says that this is because the Yasmin does not have enough estrogen for my body. I've felt really good also because of the diuretic that is included in Yasmin, and I'm expecting some water weight gain when I change to OvCon.

I have used many different birth controls (Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Tricyclen, DepoProvera). Every person's body is different, and that's why you can search for any birth control on this website and find similar amounts of postings with similar complaints. I think that after a couple of years on any birth control a woman's body begins to change and adapt and requires a different type of hormone balance to stay healthy. If switching to OvCon really solves the problem of my hives, I will never recommend this pill to anyone. I will post again to let you know if my hives have been alleviated.

I was on Alesse for four years and felt I had reached maximum bloat, so decided to discontinue the pill altogther this fall. Unfortunately, my acne problems surfaced again (after a year and a half after a six-month course of accutane). My skin got really bad and was getting oilier and oilier. I thought I'd better get back on the pill again to get my skin at least somewhat under control. I also considered going to my derm and ask for spironolactone to help with my skin's over production of oil. While doing research on BCPs that were purported to be good for acne, I landed upon Yasmin, and asked my OBGYN for it and she prescribed it to me. Yeah! It's been a godsend.

I started around the holidays this past December and it addressed my oily problem within the first week of taking it. And it doesn't make me bloat! I swear I've lost 10 pounds of water weight that I was carrying before. I still have to keep a lot of attention to my skin to control breakouts, but not being so oily helps out a lot.

My only complaints are with the diuretic effect, I'm up in the night having to go to the bathroom, sometimes as much as three times. And if it's rather early in the morning I can't get back to sleep. I'm a little moody, but it seems to be the case with birth control pills. The moodiness is nothing excessive. I'd be a lot moodier if I had my old icky oily skin back and had to go back on Accutane.

I have not experienced the fatigue or other negative side effects that people have mentioned here. In fact, it seems that all the possitive side effects that Yasmin was purported to have have worked for me.

I'd be very upset if Yasmin was taken off the market. If you find that a birth control pill is not working for you, go back to your doctor and try another kind. I remember a friend in college who had started taking the pill and she had terrible side effects, like bad headaches, terrible moodiness, felt like her heart was palpitating, and I told her to go and get it switched. Evidently the one that she switched to was perfect because she's been on it ever since. Works out perfectly for her, no bloating, etc. Maybe a little crabbiness, but seems hard to avoid that one.

At any rate, I've been very happy with Yasmin. As birth control pills go, it's practically perfect for me.

I was on another BC pill and was fine. I decided that Yasmin might be a good switch since it touts water/weight loss. I only took ONE PILL and that night I felt like my heart was pumping out of my chest. For the next two weeks, I had signs of angina--chest tightness, left arm pain, left neck pain, and numbness and tingling in my arms and legs. My OB-GYN doctor dismissed my symptoms and told me to see my family dr. My family dr. did have tests done and my brain MRI came up with possible signs of MS! I had to wait 2 months to see a specialist who read the x-rays and found them negative--what a relief. I also told him of Yasmin and he dismissed this possibility. I immediately went off of Yasmin and finally am feeling better after 2 months of taking one pill. I urge everyone to hold their ground and take care of your body and don't let anyone "dismiss" your symptoms. Thanks to everyone for posting your reactions--it certainly validates what I went through.

i have taken eleven of the yellow pills so far and i am going back to the doctor tomorrow. the headaches are unbelievable. i have never experienced the pain in my ear, jaw, and head like i am going through now. the headaches are constant and have affect my daily life in a negative way. i started taking yasmin because i was told that it helped prevent water retention. i did notice that my pants fit better, but i think that's because tylenol replaces some of meals now. though i may have lost some water weight, i am too fatigued to go work out. i have been absolutely miserable since i started this pill.

my best friend is on the same pill. she had gained fifty pounds while using depo and she recently switched to yasmin. she doesn't have any complaints. she says taking the pill at night decreases the side effects. that didn't work for me. she is over 200 lbs and i am 160 lbs. maybe i need a milder dosage.

I just stopped Yasmin about 2 weeks ago. I have put on 8 lbs. I am eating healthier than before , chicken, salads, veggies, etc. And I am working out now. What is going on? Is it related to the water weight? I felt I ate alot more on Yasmin especially sweets, but I kept weighing less. Maybe I was really putting on the pounds??? Anyway, I got off bc of mood swings in full force! Condoms for a while now...Any one else experience weight gain after quitting? I am freaking out!

I posted below about switching from LoEstrin to yasmin. So far the difference is incredible! I love Yasmin, and am on my last 3 active pills. Water weight is gone. I feel so much more normal. My face is clearing up and my hair feels thicker. I love this pill and have no intention of going off of it. It's obviously not for everyone, so if you have odd bad side effects, just switch pills. I don't believe Yasmin is any worse then other pills. I've seen these horror stories posted about every pill out there. I've spent many hours on the Net' reading about such problems. You just have to find the pill that is right for you.

These side effect stories seem scary, but I have heard the same stories about any birth control pill discussed on the Net'.

Birth control pills are a very tricky issue, and I think most women experience physical changes of some sort while on them. As one poster wisely pointed out, people who are LESS satisfied are liekly to be MORE vocal about it.

I started Yasmin after doing a lot of research, and being sick of feeling like a wacko on LoEstrin Fe 1/20. I was on the LoEstrin for almost two years and it made me:

a) lose my sex drive entirely
b) experience vaginal dryness
c) lose my period altogether
d) bloat me up with water weight
e) made my cellulite look a lot worse
f) made me moody as all get-out
g) the only "normal" days of my life occured about 2 days into my 7 off days
h) have difficulty losing weight
i) experience unyielding acne around the mouth and chin
j) experience dry hair when I always used to have thick healthy hair

Sound familiar?

Bottom line is that birth control pills are by their nature EVIL, but they are our best hope unless we want an IUD or surgery. The whole birth control issue stinks, which frustrates me to no end. I think right now Yasmin is taking a beating because it is VERY popular and more people are talking about it.

I will try to remember to keep posting here to report my future experiences on Yasmin.

Oh, and btw, I had higher blood pressure from LoEstrin, which has less estrogen than Yasmin. My blood pressure was always normal, shooting up to 120/80 when nervous. Now I'm lucky to get 120/80 at any time. I work out doing vigorous cardio 4-5 times per week for 50 minutes at a time. I'm a vegetarian, health nut, pilates-loving California fruit, LOL. I'm a non-smoker, non-drinker.

I'm convinced that for many of us, the pill is just plain wrong.

All -- stop taking YASMIN now if you have any of these symptoms- I wrote in a few days ago with all the same complaints. I went off the pill 3 days ago. Within 24 hours my personality was back to normal. I was no longer depressed or angry, just normal! My physical symptoms are now starting to subside. No new acne has erupted at all and my cysts are healing. My water weight is 70% gone and the tingling in my legs, foot cramps, migraines, and chest pains, and acid reflux and nightly vomiting are all gone. I am so relieved! IT IS THE PILL! GET OFF OF IT AND YOU WILL FEEL BETTER TODAY! I WORRY ABOUT THIS PILL --- IS IS LIKE POISON TO SOME OF US! Good luck to everyone and god bless...

I AM VERY SCARED TO READ SOME OF THE STORIES THAT SOME LADIES HAVE TOLD. THIS IS MY SECOND DAY ON THE PILL AND SEEM OKAY. THE ONLY REASON I SWITCHED OVER IS B/C I WAS ON THE DEPO AND I GAINED 35 POUNDS IN 1 YR AND HAVE BEEN ON IT FOR 3. I WAS VERY UNHAPPY W/MY WEIGHT GAIN. MY GYNO PRESCRIBED THIS PILL AND SAID THAT MY WATER WEIGHT WOULD COME OFF. HE'S SEEN MANY WOMEN LOSE WEIGHT ON THIS PILL. IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS PLEASE E-MAIL ME. THANKS, AND GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE AND HOPE YOU HAVE BETTER LUCK TRYING SOMETHING ELSE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR YOU.