Yaz and cramps

i started taking yaz in June because ive tried almost every other birth control pill, and patch and my mood and depression seemed to be only when i was on one of these. I wanted to go on that mirana IUD however my doctor told me i shouldn't because i have not had kids, im not married and im only 19 however it seemed anything i tried gave me the same side effects. So they put me on YAZ instead, at first it was great shorter periods, little to no cramps, but now 5 months and i hate it. I live with my boyfriend now and when before my sex drive was high I have ABSOLUTELY NO SEX DRIVE LEFT AND IM ONLY 19, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. And whats worse my moodiness has come back for example at the store today i lost it and started crying when they didn't have the coat i wanted to buy. I couldn't control myself i completely lost it. i don't know what to do with myself anymore. My emotions are worse then ever before i want them to put me on something that has no hormones my body cant take it. can anyone give me any suggestions.

I have been on Yaz for over a year now and it has been wonderful! I began taking Yaz because I was having extremely heavy periods with unusually heavy bleeding and debilitating cramps. My periods would last for over a week! Now that I am taking Yaz, my periods last 4-5 days, are "normal" flow, and my cramping is much more manageable. It has also cleared up my (admittedly light) acne, and I have even lost some weight. My energy levels have been normal, and I have not experienced any of the depression or headaches that others on this board have had. I would recommend this pill to women in situations like mine. I am now able to have a normal week during my period without having to worry about missing days of work or classes because of my cramps.

I have been taking Yaz for almost 2 months now. Before Yaz I took Ortho-tricyclen for several years without any symptoms until recently. I felt very moody and emotional so I decided to give Yaz a try. All emotional symptoms have gone away, however, ACNE everywhere! On my face, neck and chest! Also, i'm getting cramps in every part of my body, along with headaches. Any ideas what other pill to switch to????

Almost everyone is affected differently by different types of birth control pills. They are not all the same, please talk with your doctor about what is best for you. Sometimes is DOES take a few tries with different pills to find the best one for YOU.
This is my personal experience with Yaz... I have been on it for 1 year and 1 month exactly. I am 22. I was on Ortho-Cyclen (not tri-cyclen mind you) for a full year previous to Yaz. My periods without birth control were usually very heavy and lasted a week plus a day or two without birth control. My doctor suggested birth control to help with those problem. Ortho-Cyclen helped somewhat shortening my periods to about 5-6 days and made them a "normal-like" flow. After taking it for a year, she suggested Yaz to me help make them even shorter and lighter. Well I switched immediately after the last pill of my Ortho-Cyclen and things proceeded very nicely since I had already been using a method to regulate my cycle.
Yaz has helped me tremendously, my periods are only 3-4 days now and much lighter. I start them after 2 days of placebo and usually have a little bleeding into the first 2 active pills of my next pack.
The only side effects I have noticed are;
1) Weight gain: (I have gained about 8 lbs on this pill) and I even get more exercise than I used to when I was on Ortho-Cyclen. I eat healthy as well.
2) Breast tenderness: I have more noticeable breast tenderness while taking this pill. (But it is not every single day)
3) Cramps: I get cramps now on the first day of bleeding, but they are well taken care of with an aspirin or ibuprofen.
4) Slight depression: I cannot directly link this to Yaz as I am not a professional. However, I do find that a week to a few days before my pill period, there may be a day or two when I find myself crying over some nonsensical thing. (I never noticed this with Ortho-Cyclen.)

Another thing I have noticed though, and it's pretty nice, while I have gained a little weight on this pill, I do not get bloating before/during my period as I used to before I started using birth control pills. And yes, I used to get bloated using Ortho-Cyclen. So I can say that I have to thank Yaz for this "desired effect."
Also, I never suffered from any bad acne problems before using birth control, just the occasional breakout before getting my period, and Yaz actually did away with even that little issue.

I am 16 years old, and I am on my second week of YAZ. I do not recommend this product to ANYONE. I am aware of the fact peoples bodies react differently to different doses of hormone, I am also aware you should give it some time for your body to acclimate to new drugs, but what i have been experiencing is close to unbearable. I went on the pill to end my terrible periods. They would be extremely irregular, i would have cramps so bad i would have to miss school, and i would have severe clotting (most likely due to laying down during my menstrual cycle.), and to clear up my acne. As promised, my skin is clearing up nicely. Although on the worse end,I have never had a migraine in my life and i have had one for almost 3 days now! Since i have started YAZ i have been on my period for the past two weeks, and it shows no signs of stopping soon. Also, I have had zero sexual drive since i have began YAZ, and as a sixteen year old girl I know for a fact that it is NOT normal by any means. I have always been a naturally thin girl, now i cant eat enough, and i am gaining weight on my stomach and thighs, which is making me extremely self conscious. Anyone who has taken the time to read this, thank you.I am just trying to warn girls my age about what might be in store for them if they begin this pill, and seriously consider if it is worth these side effects.

I have been on YAZ for about three weeks. This is my first BCP I've been on. Within a few days of taking it, I got headaches everyday, my moods were up and down, and I got cramps in my lower abdomen. It felt like I was getting my period because of the cramping. This may be a little TMI, but I was horny all the time! Now the thought of having sex bores me. I don't want to have sex, I feel like crap every day, and I'm over all having a bad time on this pill. I'm scared to keep going with it, because I don't want something bad to happen, but I know that with any type of pill, until your body gets used to it, your going to have some weird side effects. Can someone please give me some advice what to do? Should I keep taking it or just stop?

Don't take Yaz! My girlfriend has a cousin who was taking YAZ! She was doing great until one day she had to be rushed to the hospital! She had severe bleeding in her brain and also a blood clot that no surgeon would agree to operate on. Since she had to be on medications she had to stop all other meds, except Yaz! She kept getting sick and having severe issues that seemed life threatening! The doctors said she could go any day! And she is in her early 30's. Finally she just stopped taking Yaz! It has been a few months since she stopped taking Yaz the nightmare drug! Knock on wood she is now about 80% better. She ihas a lawyer and is in the process of suing! Please post here if you have heard of similar situations caused by YAZ! The product while it helps some people with the cramps, and a few other things, is not good!!!

Hello everyone. I have been taking YAZ for a little over two years now. It started off great. My mood was better, my cramps and back pain was diminished. However, over the last few months all of these symptoms and more have come back in a rage. I have not had a period in months and I have extreme pain in my uterus when I have sex. I have decided to stop taking my pill and see if I become regular again. I will keep you all posted. I don't know if it is all because I have been on it for so long or what, but it's freaking me out. I'm supposed to have a period. I've taken 4 pregnancy tests over the last 4 months and they are all negative. I also have HPV and I'm not far from cervical cancer. So if this pill is causing all of these problems, I want to stop them and have a baby before I have to have my cervix removed. Good Luck to all of you.

Also if anyone else is having any sort of similar issues please let me know.

(EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS) I started taking YAZ two and half months ago and everything started out O.K. Then after missing one pill, I started having the worst cramps I've ever had in my entire life. I kept taking my pills on time in hopes of stopping the period and cramps but instead while I was bathing a Huge Fleshy Mass came out of me followed by several blood clots. My husband immediately put the mass in a sealed bag and put it in the refrigerator. I took it it in to see a specialist which claimed it probably was some weird side effect to YAZ causing my Uterine Wall to shed. He also admitted the pill hasn't been out long enough to study all the potential side effects. He suggested I finish out my supply and switch to another type of birth control pill. Yesterday I just started my period again, prematurely, and my cramps are again unbearable...I'm dead tired and moody and hope I'm not passing another mass...and I've made it up in my mind to throw away this year supply of YAZ and suggest anyone taking it with harsh side effects to do the same. REMEMBER LADIES THE RECALL ON THE PATCH THAT MADE SO MANY WOMEN VERY SICK??? DON'T BE A GUINEA PIG AND END UP NOT BEING ABLE TO GET PREGNANT. I wish you all the best in finding the right form of birth control...Take Care!!!

Hi all! I'm 22 and will be starting on my 3rd Yaz cycle...I have noticed a few things about this drug...My PMDD symptoms have seemed to decline quite a bit-although i still get very emotional. My acne has slightly cleared up and my periods last 4 days the most with minimal cramps. I have been experiencing muscle spasms in my calves but this may also be from not having enough potassium in my diet. My biggest concern however, would be the decrease in my sex drive...Yaz was the last thing my boyfriend and i thought it could be but the more we read about it, the more we are convinced. I literally went from having sex a few times a day to not wanting to be bothered with it. this is lame, i'm young and enjoy being fun and playful and spontaneous with my boyfriend but no matter how hard we try, I can't reach climax (something that was never a problem before). since this is the only oral contraceptive I have tried that hasn't given me nausea or headaches, i am hoping this libido change will go back to normal. if it doesn't by the end of this cycle i will have to try something else. any ideas?

I have been taking Yaz for 2.5 months and I have to agree with most of these posts that it has been killing me emotionally! I feel like crying at the drop of the hat. I can just look at people and want to start crying. I am police officers and I come home from work and sleep for 12 hours and I am still tired. I can never seem to get enough sleep. I have horrible cramps when I do have a period, which is a hit and a miss. I thought for the longest it was just stress but from what I am reading it seems to be the pill. I would not recommend this for anyone, it is miserable!!

I've been on Yaz for 6 weeks. The first month was fine. Just a little nausea. I started my period after the first month's inactive pills. I'm now two weeks into the second month and I'm still on my period. It's very light but I've had cramps now for two weeks as well. I've also noticed that I'm more depressed than I think I've ever been and I've had a hard life. I cry all the time now and don't have the energy to get out of bed. I've wondered if I'm going crazy or was just stressed out, but now I'm re-thinking this pill. I've got other friends on it who have no problems, but I don't think I can handle it anymore.

I have PMDD and have been taking Yasmin for about a year with wonderful results. It's like I got my life back. On a whim almost 2 months ago at my yearly exam I asked if my Dr. had any samples of Yasmin because I was nearly out. She didn't and said I could try Yaz which she had samples of. I took them for 1 month and 1 week but I had to stop...I felt so irritable and hateful, I cried at the drop of a hat, I want to eat everything in the house, I'm exhausted and have lost what sex drive I had. The only positive thing about it for me was the 2 1/2 day period with no cramps. But I was miserable with anxiety and mood swings. I have stopped taking it about 4 days ago and am slowly feeling more calm and will go back to Yasmin However...every body is different and what works for one may not work someone else so I'm not saying Yaz is bad...but these affects are happening to some of us out there sp it may not be right for everyone!

I have been taking YAZ for 2 months and just picked my new pack up to start tomorrow but they are going in the trash! I started doing research tonight on YAZ for the first time searching for answers of what could be wrong with me! I have had an MRI checking for MS, blood work checking for Lyme Disease, along with many other tests to try to determine why I am experiencing NUMBNESS is my hands, arms, legs, feet and face, and mostly on the left side. After all the tests have come back negative, I have been left with confusion and sadness wondering what could be wrong. Then I looked at YAZ side effects tonight, and what a realization! I am so sorry for all the women like me that have been going through this. This drug is terrible and should not be on the market. I was just married on July 12th and the happiest time of my life has been covered with the dark cloud called YAZ. No wonder I have felt so sad and so crazy. I started taking YAZ because I wanted to be better for my husband and not make him have to put up with my PMDD. However, I have become someone other than myself, someone who is angry and sad for no reason. Thank goodness I have realized what has been wrong. Now I can get to the marriage I have waited for all my life! Please, if you are taking YAZ, stop, and if you are thinking of starting it, DON"T!

I am so glad I found this site!!! I am 37 and I have had my tubes tied but I started taking YAZ to lessen the cramps and help with menstrual flow. What a bad choice!! I have had headaches for the past 4 days and I have only taken them for 8 days!!I am sick to my stomach and i feel so tired
I will stop today. ..I was watching a movie today and it made me so upset I called my husband...If anyone has stopped taking them Please let me know if the symptoms stops!

I just started my second months on Yaz. My doctor prescribed it due to ovarian cysts. I have not used BCP for almost 10 years. I have now had my period for 8 days. Prior to Yaz I had a period for about 3-4 days, heavy with some bad cramps but then it was over. This is light bleeding but the consistency is like paste and it seems non-stop and its just a pain in the butt. Its effecting my sex life.

On the upside - milder cramps, PMS week was better, less tender breasts, less water retention. So far my sex drive is undiminished. If that is effected, I'll stop taking them. The pharmaceutical companies can go push rope. 10 years ago my doctor swore my decreased libido was all in my head. I quit the BCP and guess what? I was like a kid again. Yes, BCPs are convenient but not at the cost of enjoying sex.

I've been on YAZ for a month now. I've been spotting for two weeks and my cramps have been unbearable and my boobs are so sore it hurts to touch them. The first couple of days made me a crazy woman with constant mood swings. I may try another 2 months, but if this keeps up, I will definitely need a change.

I was on this for 4 months, i didn't like it. I had longer periods that were just as painful as before i got on BC, and had periods that would make me not even able to move without sharp pains, these cramps were not like that but the same amount of pain. I also was very very dry and unable to hardly eat anything without having nausea....

I just quit Yaz 8 days ago, was on it for 6 months. I had the copper t iud in for 4 months but the pain and non-stop bleeding was too much so I thought I'd give the coolest, newest pill out on the market a try. First week was awful; headaches, fatigue and nausea, but I knew I had to give it 3 months. First 2 months it really helped with cramps and bloating, but slowly the mood swings crept in. I was very emotional, depressed, random bouts of anger, bloating, cramping, 2 periods per month and spotting, gained 8lbs, uncontrollable hunger, appetite was ridicules. But the reason I felt I HAD to stop taking it was the fatigue, I could no longer do my 6 mile jogs, I struggled to walk to get the mail, I was for the first time in my life a couch potato. Before I began Yaz I was 115lbs, 5'7, have always been very active and eat only 100% organic health food, drink only green tea and water. Needless to say I was in shape, cellulite free my entire life till now. On the 5 month of Yaz I noticed cellulite on my legs!!! I was know as a sweet and very patient lovable girl, NOT ANYMORE! I used to never use bad words, now I use the F-word all day long, I pick fights with everyone and feel sooo angry all the time. I hope sharing my story helps other women understand that it's not them, it's this awful drug. I am going to use the LadyComp for bc, I will NEVER again put synthetic hormones in my body.

Add me to the list of people who will never take this crap again. 38 years old, never been on birth control. My obgyn sang this pills praises about how it will help with my mood swings and severr cramps due to severe pms. The headaches were awful, by boobs doubled in size, I gained 4lbs in 1 week, moodiness, feelings of being out of control, depression worsened, felt crazy, angry, short tempered. Memory loss, my speech was affected. I'm normally a very decisive, direct communicator and I couldn't find words to complete a sentence. My short term memory was shot. I think I will stick with a few beers to get through my pms. This stuff was not worth it.

I am 31 and I have been on YAZ for a month now. My two friends have been on it for two months and suffered nausea and that was it. They love this BC!! I have not taken BC for two years but with my history of ovarian cancer (diagnosed at 24, been cancer-free for seven years!!) and my horrible periods I decided to get back on something. My oncologist put me on YAZ once I told him how the first day of my period keeps me home from work or I miss out on social activities due to the awful cramps. The only side effects I have experienced are being on my period for a month and bloating. The period is light but I still have to wear a tampon non-stop and that is not so good for the old sex life with my husband. I have never been pregnant, but I feel like I am with the stupid bloating I am having. I am going to give it another two weeks if nothing has changed I am quitting. Good Luck to everyone!!!

I've been taking Yaz for only a week, but life is more miserable than ever! I have PMDD and get totally insane two weeks before my period! I'm moody, suicidal, angry at all humanity, but I experience little pain or cramps once my bleeding starts. I bleed for 8 days, and I was hoping that Yaz would help with shorter bleeding and less mood disturbances. So far on this drug I have been crying for no reason, yelling at the computer when the internet is slow, wanting to kill myself, trouble focusing on a book or paying attention to a tv show, and shuddering when I talk! I had tummy issues throughout my teen years, but once I hit my late 20's they went away. Now that I take Yaz, I feel like I'm gonna throw up every day and my tummy hurt so much the second day that I couldn't sleep that night! I'm very anxious, and it's hard for me to express my thoughts or complete a sentence! I hate this drug! My sister has PMDD and is curious about taking this drug, but I would never recommend it to her or anyone!! I'm so frustrated! Are we women just supposed to suffer until menopause ends???!!!

Yaz is the first birth control pill I've ever been on. I'm 21 and have not needed a birth control regimen until recently. It is my 7th day taking it. I was ordered to start Yaz on the first day of my period, which I did. My periods have always been 2-3 days long, mildly heavy with no cramps. Since starting Yaz, I am STILL on my period and am nauseous every single day. Everyone keeps telling me it's just because my body is not used to birth control, to wait it out, blah blah blah. But this is complete crap. Why am I gonna pay a co-pay every month to bleed longer and be nauseous every single day? Do any of you ladies think this is my body reacting normally to a new substance?

I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have found this site! I have been taking YAZ for just over 4 months. I started it to try to lessen menstrual flow, not for birth control as I already have my tubes tied. I am a former professional athlete and very in-tune with my body. I am currently 43 and had my tubal at 29.
I started having issues fairly early on, but they were gradual, yet intense. Two things showed up - memory loss and extreme mood swings. I started having difficulty remembering the simplest things and would forget parts of conversations had only minutes earlier. Then the mood swings started. I am a very stable person, even around my period. I began having suicidal thoughts for no reason at all. One day fine, the next day wanting to end it all.

I have put on 14# in the 4-month period, visible cellulite now on my thighs. Vaginal dryness, brown gunky, pasty residue after my period (which never actually stopped) and decreased sex drive.

I called the doctor and stopped taking them as of today after finding this site!

Yaz was my first birth control pill. I have been taking Yaz for the past 2 weeks and I just started my third week. The first week was Ok but I started feeling some side effects since last week: occasional cramping, often feel like throwing up, feeling down, and feeling moody. I called my obgyn and she asked that I try to cope up with the side effects for a month. She said I could take Tylenol for the cramps. If it becomes unbearable she is going to have me switch to the vaginal ring.

I am going to give it a month but if the symptoms don't go away I am going to switch to something else..

Hello everyone..
I've been on YAZ for about a week now. My MD prescribed it because of my hormonal fluctuations before my period cause me to get a nasty yeast infection EVERY MONTH! ugh... The purpose was to stabilize my hormones (he wanted me to skip the placebo pills and only have a period once every three months). The first few days that I took this I felt okay. I noticed heart palpitations the second or third day that are still present. Yesterday I started noticing memory problems (little things like not being able to remember if I flushed the toilet or closed the garage door, followed by obsessive thoughts of needing to check on every little thing). I've also been more tired than normal since day 3 or 4. Today I'm almost a week into the pills and I had trouble sleeping last night and woke up this morning with EXTREME moodiness and a headache. I cried for 3 hours this morning for no reason and totally went off on my husband when he called me during his lunch break - the first REAL fight we have had in almost a year!!!! I also started spotting yesterday with cramps and today it's heavier. I'm not due for a period for at least 2 more weeks. I called my GYN and told him I would no longer be taking these pills. I'll happily deal with monthly yeast infections over feeling like a crazy woman. I haven't felt like this since I was diagnosed with post partem depression 3 years ago (which has been completely gone for at least 2 years - cured by 4 months of zoloft). You all know your bodies and yes we respond to things differently, but there's no need to put yourselves through this.. My advice to other women - if you are sensitive to your hormonal fluctuations, don't try YAZ!

I have been on yaz for about 5 or 6 months now and it was great at first since coming off low estrine, I was havening serious side effects, but starting yaz it was awesome for the first few months now i have huge waves of nausea, constipation, back ache, some headaches, EXTREME mood swings, and depression*, bloating, my breast are always sore, i have gone up a cup size, my boyfriend cant stand to be around me! i have no drive any more, im just tired and my stomach hurts all the time i still have bad cramps, even though i have no acene any more and i have light periods all these problems are making me feel worried that i am pregnant all the time even though i take bc like i should i still don't trust bc so we still wear condoms, so i no that im not. i thought i had everything wrong with me,i have gone to several doc. but they found nothing i have IBS also so suposably my stomach was hurting from that. i know when my IBS has kicked in and thoughts pains were not it. but all these post i keep reading have really brought light to this pill. everyone i know thinks im going crazy and i know i am. i have never complained so much in my life about how bad i feel and its on a daily basis for me now! im going to stop at the end of this month hopefully ill feel ten times better then i have been. i want my old self back!!! im so glad i took the time to find out about my bc and its side effects and all the post i have read about this horrible pill. it feels great knowing im not the only one!

At first, Yaz was fine. I had been on Yasmin for 3 years, and switched to Yaz. I had no side effects from Yasmin. This is my 4th month on Yaz, and I've had a multitude of side effects. The first month, no period at all, second month, lighter period, but it started late and I was BLOATED and CONSTIPATED for the whole period. Third month, my vision is getting worse, I have ridiculous headaches, insomnia and anxiety. I started my 4th month of pills (hoping that my body just needed a few months to adapt to the new BC) and this has been by far the worst month ever!!! I've been on my period for 2 weeks now, even though I've finished a whole week of hormone pills, and I'm BLOATED LIKE CRAZY. It will not go down! And my mood swings are out of control. Any little thing will make me loose my temper, or I'll start crying and ask my husband a million times if I'm fat. My headaches are worse, insomnia is worse and now I'm sensitive to light. And I'm carrying around an extra 5 pounds on my butt that I didn't want. Plus, it's a load of crap that Yaz helps with cramps. Now it just feels like one person is kicking me in the stomach instead of two (which really is no different). This is just my experience with it, and I'm sure some people do great, but would recommend doing research on other pills before committing to Yaz.

I started taking Yaz 3 weeks ago and I am feeling very sick, this headache wont go away ,stomach pain that's constant and dizziness and diarrhea I did not have this pain before, it just started when I started taking Yaz I should have research this Birth Control before I started taking it .Does anyone know how long it takes for this Birth control to be out of your system.

I have just spent the last hour reading some of the post about Yaz. I have yet to read one that states she is diagnosed with PMDD and that is the reason for her dr. putting her on Yaz. Yaz is not only a birthcontrol pill but also effective tool in treading PMDD. PMDD is the more life effecting sever side effects of your menstral cycle. Some of the side effects people are experiencing on Yaz are those that I suffer with on a regular basis. You see I have been diagnosed with PMDD. I suffer every month for at least 7 - 10 days before my period starts. I literally hate human contact during this period. The slighest thing makes me uncontrollably irrate with things from fuzz on my carpet to the site of my husband. I experience svere road rage. Have absolutley no desire to do anything but eat and sleep. These side effects make life for everyone around me pure hell. Once my cycle starts they subside. I literally turn into cruella deville every month. I have been put on other antideppresants for the treatment of PMDD with no good results. I gladly welcome nasuea, headaches and break thru bleeding versus no sleep for days on end, halluctinations, memory loss, and flat affect all symptons I experienced on Prozac the most common treatment of PMDD. Not only do I suffer from PMDD but I have horrible horrible monthly periods consisting of major bledding with excessive clotting. I go thru 2 40ct. boxed of tampons each month and a box of maxi pads too. So if a headache is the price i have to pay for a few months I say bring it on. Any dr will tell you and the pamplet that comes with Yaz state that you may suffer some side effects until your body becomes adjusted to the new medication. You can't just pop one pill and say whalla my life is perfect now. I just started Yaz this week and so far no symptoms listed on this site have i experienced. Maybe some people need to be more patient. Medications are like diets, they don't all work and they were not intended to be overnight miracle workers. I will keep and eye on this site and further update with any success and or non success I have with this med. Remember talking a med used to treat an ailment that you don't have can make you suffer from worse side effects.

I find it strange that everyone has hated the YAZ pill...I am 19 years old and have been on it since September....my periods are only 2 days now...i don't even have to wear a tampon....yes i have started to get more migraines, but it has TOTALLY CLEARED up my skin!!! It has been amazing!!! I have always had moderate acne, but this pill has gotten rid of it completely. And oddly enough I would say it has not decreased my sex drive...seems more like a definite increase....Yes i still get bad cramps, but I have always had them so i don't know if thats the pill or what...ive only experienced nausea a few times....i have had NO mood swings or depression....oh and I have even lost a little weight...usually I averaged about 116 and watched what i ate...but now i eat whatever i want and i stay around 110....!!! (i don't exercise too often) i can tell it has increased my metabolism....overall i would say this pill rocks, and you gotta stay on it for at least 4 months and take it consistently everyday at the same time to get good effects.

I am 41 years old; I've been on several different birth control pills since I was 19 (never had any problems with any of them). I took a break for 2 years recently while trying to get pregnant. After two miscarriages, I decided to go back on the pill until the genetic tests come back.
I am into my 3rd pack of YAZ pills & all I can say is they are by far the WORST birth control pills I have ever taken. After reading all of the side effects that are posted, I am discontinuing immediately. It also eases some of my worries that I am not the only one suffering. These are the side effects that I have experienced since starting YAZ:

1. Daily migraine headaches.
2. Throbbing pain in my head if I turn too quickly.
3. Sensitivity to light.
4. Frequent cramps in my feet.
5. Clouded vision & sharp pain in my eye sockets.
6. Sinus pain.
7. Constipation.
8. Ringing in my ear.
9. Insomnia.
10.EXTREME mood swings.
11.Depression.
12.ZERO sex drive.
13.Fatigue, along with constant neck & back pain.
14.Painful cyst-like acne on my face.

With all of the birth control pills out there, there is no reason to have to take YAZ. It is the only pill on the market that contains drospirenone, which leads me to believe that drospirenone is causing the side effects I am experiencing.

I was on Yasmin for over 4 years with no problems. It actually helped me lose weight, lessen my HEAVY flow and decrease my cramps. I originally started it for the fact that my periods usually lasted over a week. I loved this pill. At my last exam, my gyno prescribed Yaz. I didn't notice much of a difference, though I still loved Yasmin and my doc gave me the option of going back at any time. After reading this forum, I notice that maybe my headaches that I never get I had a lot of after starting. This side effect did not last long, maybe two months. I had a positive experience. Everyone's body reacts differently, so i'd say give it thre months and see how you do.

My view on YAZ is simple. It sucks! This is by far, the worst birth control I have ever taken! My side effects ranged from fair, to mild to uncontrollable. At first, everything seemed ok. My periods did not get any shorter, and they didn't get any lighter. Over time, that changed. However, its still not normal. I always tend to start my period 2 days AFTER I start my new pill pack (after the "reminder pills.") I gained 24 pounds on the pill in a year, so I've been working out hard core for the past three months and lost 5 pounds. Its horrible! I also reported to my doctor that I had a HUGE decrease in sex drive. My husband and I now have sex once a month...IF he is lucky! I also at times feel like I hate the world and everyone in it. I become very depressed, and I start to think about how crappy my life really is. Granted, I'm not in the greatest job in the world...not even a good one. But I was fine at it before I started taking YAZ. -I've been written up because of a supposed "attitude" I had while starting YAZ. I also am experiencing bad cramps before I start my period along with Diarrhea. I've recently noticed that my vision is starting to "blur" and I feel like I'm going cross eyed when I talk to someone and look them in the eye. I am hugely dissatisfied, and DON'T recommend taking this BCP to anyone.

I just finished taking my 3rd pack of pills. I loved Yaz my first 2 months. This month, I'm just not so sure. Ive had HORRIBLE acne when I usually don't even have acne at all. Maybe one pimple, thats it. This is terrible. Also, my mood swings are like a crazy person. One minute I'm fine, the next I'm breaking up with my boyfriend, then I love him more than anything, then I don't want to have contact with anyone who is living, then I'm lonely. Oh its bad... But my cramps are pretty much non-existent. Which is nice because off of Yaz, they are TERRIBLE!

I have been on Yaz for about 3 and 1/2 months. It has not made me gain weight and my acne has pretty much cleared up entirely. I do seem to cry a lot more, but I would not say that I am depressed. I usually just have a good 5 minute cry about something and go back to the way I felt before. The biggest side effect that I have noticed is that I am extremely tired when I get up in the morning. A couple of times, when I didn't have to work, I slept until 1:00 in the afternoon. I cannot say that this is because of Yaz, but it does coincide with when I started taking it. However, after I do finally get out of bed, I don't feel so tired throughout the rest of the day. Would it be considered a "side effect" if my lethargy only occurs in the morning?

I notice that more people have negative things to say about Yaz than positive. I am still trying to decide if I am in the small percent that it actually helps. It definitely lightens my period, which is why I started taking it, but my cramps are the same. I am going to give another couple of months.