Yaz and headaches

I was on YAZ for about 4 months. And like all medications, i gave it time. In the beginning i experienced a lot of nausea, fatigue, headaches, and severe diarrhea. And instead of clearing my skin, it made my skin absolutely terrible. i stuck it out in hopes that my body would change, and begin to get use to the hormone but it didn't. I have been having GI issues August, have been through a Colonoscopy, and everything came back normal. Ever since stopping this pill, my body has felt so much better overall, but the GI issues are still there which concerns me greatly. Has anyone else ever experienced this? My bowel movements have changed completely, and all of the specialist i have seen, say that the pill wouldn't do this. I do not believe it. I believe that the pill has messed up my GI tract so much, that i can't have a normal bowel movement. I honestly do not recommended this pill to anyone. I am 18, and to be experiencing what i am especially going to school, is so not fun. Could YAZ have been the cause of all of this?

I just started my second month of Yaz, and this last week or so I have been experiencing side effects, such as; mood swings, irritability, loss of patience, sudden crying fits, and headaches. I think it is too soon to notice any weight change, but I am just not happy with myself. I have read through the posts, and I am happy that all of you have posted, but I haven't seen anyone talk about other options. I am wondering if anyone else has been given any recommendations. I have been on Yasmin in the past (high school, I am now 24), but never experienced these side effects before. The pill does clear up my mild acne, but only until I hit the last four pills. Not a concern of mine, I would rather not be so moody and irritated all of the time. Can these side effects happen so soon? I thought that it took longer for birth control to be in your system. Any comments back would be great. As of today, I am off Yaz, and have scheduled an appointment with my gynecologist to discuss further options.

I am 22 and was on ortho tri cyclen off and on for 5 years. I really had no issues with that, and only started taking yaz because my doctor gave me some free sample packs. I was interested in shorter periods. Now after taking yaz I am desperate to start taking my old pills again. My symptoms include:
weight gain
extreme mood swings (to my husband, I'm sorry)
extreme depression
feelings of worthlessness
extremely strange cravings (I will eat maple syrup right from the bottle or eat half a pizza)
tiredness
headaches
absolutely no sex drive

The good news is that my face is very clear. But personally clear skin is not worth being so mean to everyone in my life. I really do not forsee myself continuing use of yaz.

Glad to find that I'm not the only one!

I was on Yaz for a year and a half, but I just stopped taking it two and half weeks ago. I'm already starting to feel better. I had quite a few symptoms creep up while I was on it and I guess I just attributed them to other things until recently. The first couple months I was on Yaz, it seemed great. I didn't gain any weight, my periods were lighter, my moods seemed relatively stable. But then about nine months ago I started getting frequent heart palpitations and anxiety. My doctor saw me three or four times about it and couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. (It didn't even occur to me to ask if Yaz could possibly do that.) Around the same time, I started to get bad muscle fatigue and muscle cramps. My muscles felt sore and tired during the day for no reason. And sometimes at night I would wake up yelling because of sharp cramps in my calves. And over the last year, my moods became horrible. I lost my patience completely and became really weepy and depressed at other times. And my sex drive was totally gone. Then very recently, I started getting horrible completely debilitating headaches like I'd never had before.

But the thing that finally made me realize that Yaz might be effecting me this way, was that I actually felt BETTER right before my period, during the four days of the inactive pill. During these days - the days when most women feel moody and fatigued - I actually felt like my old self. I did a bit of research and quickly realized that Yaz is likely responsible for quite a few of the negative feelings I've had the last year and half.

I'll report back after I've been off of it for a couple months and I know it is completely out of my system.

I'm so glad to find this website. I'm 21 years old and I've been on a dozen different BC's over the past 5 years because of my irregular cycles and PCOS. I switched to Yaz a little over a year ago because the military didn't carry my previous BC (lo-estrin24 which I liked). A few months into it, I started having these weird side effects, but just blew them off because they seemed small and I didn't want my new husband to think he just married a hypochondriac! Plus I see those lawsuit commercials about Yaz every day and I didn't want to be the type of person that freaks out when they see something like that.

The first thing I noticed was nausea on a daily basis. It's not bad enough to where I actually vomit, but enough to where I notice it and it affects my day to day routine. My cycles while being on it have been "normal", as normal as they will get for me.

However, over the past few weeks I have been getting the worst headaches/migraines, bad enough to where you can't function on a day to day basis. I thought they were because we just moved up to Alaska and the weather change was getting to me. (We've been here for almost 2 months) It's been over 3 weeks now and I still get them on a daily basis. The doctor told me they are from stress, but I've been stressed my entire life and have NEVER had a problem with headaches. I've had to resort to taking Excedrin every day (which I KNOW is NOT good for me but I can't function without it). Like others have said, I experience the vaginal dryness, lack of desire, but just assumed it was my body/lifestyle changing and that it was nothing to worry about. I also feel like I'm getting..for lack of a better word..dumber..and I can't remember anything that I did the day before, much less a week or month before. I honestly don't know if I'm any more moody than I was a year ago without asking my husband, and I don't think I actually want to know lol. My mother (who is in the medical field) swears to me that it's the BC causing all of this.

Thank you so much everyone for your postings, I will be scheduling yet another doctor's appt next week and will make sure I'm switched to another BC this time.

I've been on YAZ for two months now. It's terrible. I'm in my first sexual relationship and it led me to believe I was pregnant for a few days. My period was late, I woke up sick to my stomach, had munchies from hell, and was about as moody as my mother when she tries to quit smoking. I've gained 3 pounds (after being ecstatic for losing 20), had severe pain in my lower abdomen, a vaginal infection, a tightening in my vagina that causes a large amount of pain, extreme breast tenderness, reoccurring headaches, and pains in my chest. I'm scheduled for a pre-op. physical tomorrow. I have a feeling I am going to speak with my physician about switching my birth control. if I get any moodier, I think I may end up running my boyfriend over with my car. :D

xxxxxx

I am 30 yrs old, have been taking YAZ for a little less than one year. Loved it at first, my PMDD seemed a lot better, my skin cleared up. (I had adult acne) The decreased sex drive was immediate and after a couple of months I noticed the stomach pains, headaches, and extreme hunger in the mornings as well as shortness of breath and occasional dizziness. I even went to my regular doctor for an inhaler due to the shortness of breath. Since I started this pill to now I've gained a lot of "solid" weight that seems very hard to lose. I've gone from a size 4 to an 8. The only benefit has been that my skin is a lot clearer but as soon as I take the last pink pill in the pack my face breaks out again. This past month I've had horrible mood swings. My anxiety is worse than ever and I overreact to the smallest things. I can't stand myself and feel like a crazy person. While the thought of having acne again makes me very sad, I will no longer take YAZ.

I started taking YAZ in March. By July I had lost 3/4 of my hair. I had a two inch ponytale and now it is a half inch. I stopped the BC at the end of July but I don't know how long it will take to get the YAZ out of my system. I am exhausted all the time and have no sex drive. I thought my depression was from stress but I am reconsidering that after reading this site. I don't know if it is related but I have been bruising easily. I also have headaches that meds don't seem to touch.

I am 22, on my 3rd month of Yaz and have 3 days left in my packet. I will NOT continue to take this bc. I have never felt worse. I don't feel like myself, I constantly am angry or sad to point of tears nearly every day for no reason. I have not been spending time with my roommates like I used to, I feel like I have no motivation and do not want to ever do anything. I thought I was going crazy with all my yo-yo mood swings which seemed to take me down more often than up. I would not recommend this pill. I just moved to California, am living with 5 other awesome people as a volunteer in a house with a new teaching job. I should not be depressed whatsoever, but I just feel down ALL the time. Headaches, bloating, weight gain, nightmares, and poor sleep have all accompanied the severe mood swings. I think because this pill is specifically for ppl with PMDD and I do not have PMDD it is wise that I get off it as it seems to have the opposite effect for those who do not have PMDD. But after reading everyone else's side effects I feel so much better (and not like a lunatic like I've been feeling!) and positive about this decision to stop taking Yaz.

I HAVE EXPERIENCED RESTLESSNESS, HYPERNESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, HEADACHES AND VISION PROBLEMS SINCE I STARTED ON THE YAZ, I WONDER IF IT IS THE MEDICATION OR JUST ME

I came to the conclusion myself, luckily, that Yaz was causing my weight gain. After having back surgery in April and gaining not a pound while not working out, I have been on Yaz for four months and I literally have gained 10 pounds in the past three weeks, my boobs hurt like when I was pregnant and I have even been lactating a little! Ugh! Sex drive...gone. Headaches, lack of motivation, could sleep ALL day. I took Yasmin for years and years with no problem at all. I recommend against this method of BC if you aren't taking it for a specific condition. It's just not worth the hassle OR a new wardrobe! I'm almost 40 years old, have been working out since I was in my teens and have not weighed this much since I was pregnant. I know that the trainers in my gym think i'm some kind of closet eater or something! I'm working and working and getting fatter!
The symptoms all are things I experienced while pregnant with my son - 18 years ago! If I wanted to feel preggers, I'd get preggers! My new husband probably thinks I'm letting myself go now that I'm married. Luckily he's very sweet and understanding. It was his idea to change my BC back. Call you doctor. Now!

I just recently about 2 1/2 months ago switched from yaz to the nuvaring. Thank god. I have been struggling the last year with these symptoms: IBS, moodiness, anxiety attacks, palpitations, shortness of breath, headaches, SEVERE stomach cramps, and much much more. It started with taking a ride to the hospital because of what i think may have been an anxiety attack. but at that moment felt like a heart attack. I knew i was too young though. I have since been to my GYN doctor, he told me that it could not be the yaz. But i asked him to switch me anyway to anything else. i have been off for about 2 1/2 months and i feel much better. I don't have to not eat because i know my stomach will cramp. I couldn't even walk up the stairs at wet n wild to a ride because by the time i got to the top my heart would be pounding out of my chest, and everything would be blurry. ...just letting everyone know ...yaz is dangerous...and i do plan on getting a lawyer because yaz never said anything about these complications....

I recently read where pharmacies are changing women's yaz rx to a drug called ocella that is notorious for these symptoms. You might want to check into that possibility.

on my third pack now...for the first week when i started i did feel very tired, sleepy...and lazy, also had some light headaches..but that all went away.
did not have any mood swings, actually i am less cranky and in better mood.
before starting on BC... i had severe pains, long periods ( 6 days) and really bad bloating (would go up a dress size)...
so far Yaz has been good, no pains, light periods. period usually starts on the 4th placebo pill. the only problem as soon as i start taking placebo pills i get red bumps that sort of look like pimples on my face... and they last me until i am done my period.

I am getting married this month and I started taking Yaz a few months ago. The immediate effects I noticed were horrible heartburn, fatigue, moodiness (I mean there were points where I hated EVERYONE), anxiety and headaches. Eventually my body evened out and the heartburn went away, but the appetite did not, I craved sugars and could easily keep up with my fiance on food intake, it was sorta embarrassing, but I realized I had to eat more carb oriented foods to not have bad side effects (heartburn). Well I packed on a solid 8 pounds and needless to say that didn't make me very happy, and I decided to go off of it. I feel like a veil of darkness has been removed from me, I have energy, I'm not miserable, I don't hate everyone or get angry for no reason, and I don't stay up all night worrying about nothing. Everyone is different, so for some people this pill may work great. But, if you're on this pill I just recommend that you be very careful, you may not even realize the change in yourself until you stop taking it.

I just had a baby five months ago. Started taking Yaz at my six week check-up. I am 28 yrs old. My side effects include: mood swings, MAJOR LOSS OF SEX DRIVE, weight gain, headaches, nausea at night before bed, Inability to pay attention, Restlessness, backaches, An aversion to touch, sometimes I feel as if I don't have any emotions at all. depressed for no reason. and so vary tired all time. I had taken Yaz before and experienced some side effects but was only on for a month my effects were headaches, and break through bleeding. Had a baby and tried it again and now I am just wondering what is wrong with me. My wonderful husband has been so understanding and wants his wife back lol. After reading other postings I am not going to finish this months pack and stop this craziness once and for all.

Well, I'm really glad I found this site. I can't believe how disillusioned I was. My doc prescribed Yaz because for the past year and a half I have had extremely irregular periods and would go from not having any period at all for a few months to have a two week period. I would also have dark brown to practically black spotting often. So my doc said to try Yaz.

I would much rather go back to what was happening before to what's happening now. I have only been on Yaz for 2 months now (I am on the last few days of my second pack). First month I was so depressed and would cry and didn't care about much of anything. I felt like an idiot. I started to hate my job that I love. When it came for the break in the pack I didn't start my period until the day I started the new pack and it was the most painful and heavy period I have had in my entire life (and I used to have pretty bad periods when I was a teenager). It lasted for 10 days (at least). What a nightmare.

To make matters worse this month I have been angry and snappy at everyone and for no real reason at all. The smallest thing makes me extremely irritated. I have been having pain in my wrists and knees which I have had a pre-existing issues with but the pain is worse now. Headaches, constant bloating, foggy brain as if I am stoned or something, disinterested in things I normally care about. My legs have been so itchy I am scratching the skin raw and have started to develop small itchy red dots on my arms and legs. I am thirsty a lot, to the point where I have to bring a water bottle with me everywhere. And most concerning for me is that I have been extremely nauseated, dealing with severe stomach pain, mild to moderate vomiting. Also recently I have been really really tired. I was really sick this week, was it a stomach flu or Yaz pulling another trick out of it's pocket?

I work at a bank and the emotional parts of this makes it extremely hard to to my job. Thank God I have an extremely understanding boss. I am stopping Yaz immediately because this is insanity. I don't think that I'm going to take birth control pills again. I have an appointment to talk to my doctor next week and I will talk to her about different options. I am only 24, this should not be the case.

I am sitting here reading these posts shaking my head in disbelief! I have been taking yaz for 8 months & have the following side effects: don't care about ANYTHING, snappy & extremely irritable all the time, absolutely HATE sex & I have never ever had that problem, weight gain my stomach has never been this big before, my boobs are HUGE they have increased a bra size at least, all I do is eat, hot flashes for no reason, & just don't like anybody anymore. My memory is gone, & I can't pay attention at all nor do I care enough about anything to pay attention. I took my last yaz yesterday I am all done with this horrible pill & I pray I get back to normal soon!

I've taken Yaz for the past 18 months. It was fine the first few months, then I started to get severely depressed - suddenly and for no reason. I had a hard time wanting to live, despite the fact that I have the "perfect" life as a stay-at-home mom, 2 kids and a wonderful husband. I also would feel like crying quite often for no reason. Everything else was fine: regular periods, good skin, no weight gain.

I recently quit yaz, about 6-8 weeks ago because of the mood swings. This is how I feel nearly every day since: shaky, crazy in the head, headaches (which I never got before), full of anger and outbursts at my children & husband, jittery and sleepy in the afternoon (like I have low blood sugar or something). I really feel like I'm going crazy. I'm going to go see my doctor this week to see what's up. I was considering hypoglycemia, diabetes, or thyroid problems, so I'm glad I found this site and considered yaz as the culprit.

OMG! Thought it was due to my age. Thought I was going crazy! Everyone of these issues I have.
Headaches, fatigue, fuzzy head, incredible appetite, quick weight gain. I also have lost a lot of hair and have hair damage (very dry and breaking off).
My doctor actually suggested this product to help with my PMDD. Did not help me just created another set of issues. I do not need birth control I need the hormones but not that bad.

Has anyone else had problems with their hair?

I started the Yaz . First BC ever for me , Im 38. I did try the Nuva Ring once but stopped after 2 weeks because of a burning sensation down there. So, not ever searching symptoms, side effects on line ever for any BC I decided to take this Yaz , recommended by my doctor explaining if I had PMS , Yaz may ease that as well. Ok, sounds great. Also I was told Yaz had a diuretic in it too , which was a plus to me because I tend to hold water , bloat a lot during the month. So, Im happy go lucky thinking wow, this is great. My face cleared up , I felt the bloat going away, Boy was I in for a surprise !
The second month of a pack is when I went down hill and fast ! Depression hit me so fast out of no where...I never had a clue a BC could do this ! I started having bad dreams every night. Bad headaches. Like the kind where I was holding my hand to my head constantly. Emotional. Snappy , grouchy. Irritated , impatient with my boys. I felt like ripping my hair out. Weird I was.....then is when I stared doing research online.
This is so sad to me , now I think of all the sweet young girls getting on these and feeling these side effects and not even knowing it is the BC. I have boys but I would be devastated if I had a daughter and had to worry about preventing pregnancy. I stopped taking them and had the Essure done to avoid ever ever having hormones in me again. I am so so sorry for the millions of women who have been on BC and had to suffer from this. It is not you , you cant help be witchy....it is the BIRTH Control !!

I am so relieved to read all of these posts on this website and others. I have been on Yaz for about 7 months now. I couldn't figure out what was going on with me. I have not been myself. I kept blaming this all on my stressful job. I have terrible headaches, body aches, depression and a serious lack sex drive. It is starting to affect my relationship with my husband. I am stopping tonight and know I will be back to myself soon!!

I am a perfectly healthy, 24-year old young lady in excellent mental and physical health. I eat right, exercise regularly and I have no history of any health problems. In August of 2007 I started taking Yaz, it was prescribed by my gynecologist and I always got free samples, so I began taking it. In November of 2007 (almost 4-months after starting Yaz) I began having severely painful and scary gallbladder attacks. After multiple tests, I found out that at 22 years of age, my gallbladder was functioning at 0% and had to be removed immediately. I always thought that it was odd and my family did too because there is no history of gallbladder disease in my family at all and I was way too young and healthy to have my gallbladder fail. During the first few months of taking Yaz, I noticed that I was moody and tired beyond belief. I lost a few pounds though. For the first couple of months, my acne got worse, but then around the same time that I had my gallbladder removed, my acne started to improve pretty rapidly. A couple of months later I was diagnosed with IBS and have suffered digestive problems since.
I was in a relationship when I started taking Yaz and for no reason at all I lost all interest in sex and developed anxiety and an aversion to touch and in January of 2008 I broke things off with my boyfriend for no reason at all. In March of 2008 I started having severe anxiety and panic attacks. At times I even had thoughts of dying and thought that "at least I won't feel this way anymore."
To soothe those feelings I began drinking and partying and found that I felt better with the calming effects of alcohol. I drank at least 4 nights a week for about two months until I started gaining weight from the drinking. I don't have an addictive personality at all and so I just quit drinking cold turkey. It tasted horrible anyways.
In May 2008 I met the most wonderful man in the world, and yet, I was unable to ever really "feel" anything for him and I always felt emotionless and empty. My anxiety and panic attacks continued and I absolutely had no sex drive. We would have sex, but eventually my aversion to it took over and we began fighting for no reason at all and I became panicky and depressed again. In July 2008 I developed a severe allergic reaction to peanuts and had to be taken to the emergency room. I have never had any allergies and have enjoyed peanuts all throughout my life. In August of 2008 I developed an allergy to penicillin and broke out in hives. I had never been allergic to anything in my life, and all of a sudden, I had two allergies!!!
In September of 2008 my immune system went down the drain and I developed a severe and life-threatening MRSA infection. I was in and out of the emergency room for a week straight and didn't get better from it for over 3 weeks. The doctors thought I had to have some sort of AIDS or Cancer to be getting MRSA at such a young age....but all tests came back negative multiple times and they just shrugged me off as an exception to the rule.
In October of 2008 I got a severe intestinal infection called c. diff.
This took two weeks for me to get over and was absolutely horrible!!
What was happening to my body??
What was happening to my immune system??
In November I started having problems with my blood sugar and I always felt like I was on the verge of passing out unless I ate on a constant basis.
It was horrible!!!
By this time, my acne was gone, my periods were shorter...thanks Yaz.

But, I had
Migraines/Severe Headaches
Fluctuating Appetite with weird cravings for salty and sweet foods
Low Blood Sugar with light-headedness and weakness
Blurry Vision (even though my eye doctor has told me repeatedly that I have perfect vision)
Brain Fog
Severe Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Nervousness and Restlessness
Inability to pay attention
Moodiness/Snappiness
Depression
Long episodes of ataraxia where I just couldn't feel any kind of emotion
NO SEX DRIVE
An aversion to touch
Hot flashes
Body aches
Thinning hair
My gallbladder quit functioning
I had a very weak immune system
and I had developed allergies to things I had been in contact with all my life...
I had back aches and neck pains
And I had severe Insomnia in spite of the fact that I was exhausted all the time! And when I did sleep it was worth nothing....
In January of 2009 I quit my job and dumped my 'perfect' boyfriend.
In February I was unable to get a hold of any Yaz bc and therefore since I wasn't having sex, I skipped February. I felt better in February and never made any connection and so I got back on in March and since then I have never felt worse in my life!!!! I've been doing research on the effects that Yaz and other bc hormones have on our bodies and it is astonishing how much it can psychologically and physically damage our bodies. I have felt like I am going crazy and slowly dying for NO REASON AT ALL>
Yaz is a nightmare!!!
I have been off of it now for 2 days and even though I still have some of the same symptoms, I can slowly feel myself getting back to normal. I've been told that it can take up to 2-3 months to get bc completely out of your system and for your body to adjust so I'm coping and being hopeful.
During the last month or so, I have even considered taking anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications because my life is a nightmare, luckily I looked deeper into my situation and discovered the culprit b4 I put something else in my body...
Yaz is not worth it.
I will never recommend it to anyone.
The pharmaceutical companies don't give a crap about us!!!
They just want our money and don't give a shit what their chemicals do to our bodies!!!
When I have little girls of my own someday, I will never let them take b.c.
I have been letting all of my friends and family know.
I would love to participate in a class action suite or an anti-Yaz campaign....
Anything. If you know let me know because I don't ever want anyone to have to go through what I have gone through with Yaz.
Ladies....Please do significant research before you ever put anything into your bodies.

WOW!!!! I wish I found this website months ago!!! I started taking Yaz 8 months ago. I consider myself a very healthy person, I workout intensively 5 times a week, eat right and have a healthy lifestyle and wonderful people in my life but around 8 months ago I started getting sick all the time, feeling depressed and in a fog, not wanting to get out of bed,getting bad headaches all the time, increasingly anxious and stressed and gaining weight and not being able to lose it. I have a very comfortable and happy life and have nothing to be depressed about so I couldn't figure out why this was happening. I've gone to the doctor many times and had every blood test known to man done and still no answers, I even started going to a therapist. I couldn't figure out why I had lost interest in life and every day had become a struggle. No one ever considered it could all be related to a drug side effect. I called my doctor and I'm going to stop taking Yaz and hopefully this is the answer to what is going on with my body. I will keep you posted!

I posted my experience with YAZ on March 1st. I'm a 45 year old woman who began taking YAZ about 2 years ago. Please note I've been on a form of the pill for 14 years, but changed to YAZ for the last 2. The first year I was fine. However the second year I started having some issues,that until I went to this website,didn't connect with the pill. Hair thinning, diarrhea, abdominal pain, joint pain, and mood swings. After losing 15lbs very suddenly I went to the doctor, I've had had blood work done, urine and stool samples analyzed, a colonscopy, endoscopy and CT scan with no real diagnosis! I stopped taking the pill on March 1st after seeing a follow up commercial for YAZ stating what it is to be used for. I don't have PPMD or acne.

It has been 22 days and I finally feel better. The first week was VERY bad. I was a mess, physically and mentally, headaches and hot flashes! But once I got through it I began to feel better. Not everything has gone away completely and I realize it will take time. My main issue was the excessive abdominal pain and diarrhea. I have had a few bouts, but not nearly what I had before. Slowly I am feeling better.

This drug needs to be taken off the market!! I'm angry that my doctor just handed it to me like it was nothing, I feel like a guinea pig!

I have called my former gyn and let him know what has happened to me. I also plan to call the FDA and file a complaint.

If you're on YAZ get off it!

I have been on Yaz for 8 months and up until reading this website I thought I was either a) falling apart physically or b) a crazy hypochondriac!
I have had severe GI issues (gas, bloating, constipation, diahrrea etc.), headaches, neck pain, irrational irritibility, depression, anxiety, dizzy spells, unexplained weight gain (about 10 pounds, especially in the belly area), COMPLETE loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness, lack of ability to become aroused and if I do delayed orgasm (20-30 or stimulation before I can climax), fatigue and insomnia, skin rashes, shortness of breath, decreased immunity etc.
I am stopping this pill tonight after reading all of these other entries confirming the fact that I am not crazy!

Well...Im happy to know Im not crazy...yet! I started Yaz a week ago and the side effects are to extreme for me. First I was waking up in the middle of the night soak in sweat...like practically dripping sweat and lots of nightmares. Nauseas, super bad headaches like to cry for and extremely emotional. My biggest concern was the look of my blood. It didn't look like blood, just like tons of miniture clots in a very dark almost back color blood.

I was very excited with this pill since they make it look so wonderful...I just disappointed!

Ive been on Yaz for one week and by the third day, I started noticing I was tired more than usual. The days that followed got worse and worse! My symptoms include: Fatigue, Irritability, Chest Pains, No Sex Drive, Dryness, Nervousness, Acne, Insomnia, Increase in Appetite, Loss of Focus, Pulsating Headaches, Short Temper. I worry about quitting mid-cycle but these symptoms are unbearable and thats a risk I don't mind taking. I mean after all, who wants to live like this? NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im quitting TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started Yaz November 2007 since my periods were heavy and I had really bad cramps. I am a medical student and I was starting my surgery rotation so I thought I couldn't deal with the cramps during surgery, so that is why I started. It seemed great at first I had no appetite, my weight has been stable. I read a lot of different books saying hormones shouldn't be taken since it isn't natural and it will cause weight gain etc. One thing for sure is that the distribution of my fat has changed, now I have more belly weight (like the other person who mentioned the yaz roll), more weight in my arms and a little more in my breasts and less in my legs. I have been contemplating for a long time if I should stop taking it also because I am someone with A LOT of scalp hair and I noticed that I lost A LOT of it while on Yaz (but could it also be from the stress of medical school?). My life has been crazy, my father died in September. I cant differentiate if I am crazy/sad/moody bc of my life circumstances or bc of the pill because sometimes I do feel like I am over reacting. I wonder too if I stop the pill if my fat will redistribute again. I am so unsure what to do. I have also noticed that I cannot wear contacts for a long time, sometimes I get debilitating headaches where I cant even lift my head.

I called my doctor today to get the go ahead to stop this pill. I have only been on it for 5 or 6 months. The last two months have been horrible. I have had piercing headaches bad enough that I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep; tired all the time; no energy; no sexual desire. I also had two months where 3 weeks into a month I had loose bowels. None of this is normal for me. I would almost say I bordered on depression. No spunk, no happiness... and I have a lot of reason to be happy in my life. This drug is nasty as described someone else here and by my daughter as well. If you are offered this say NO ! It is horrible

I am so thankful to have found this site! I notices the commercial on TV several times and began wondering what the deal was with my BCP. I now realize that I am not crazy! Other women are experiencing this too. I have been on YAZ for about 3 yrs and at first di not notice any difference. The past year and a half have been a different story. I have gained about 15-20 lbs. and can not get it off. I am more hungry than usual but I am tired ALL the time. I began getting severe cramps before my period, which I never had before and more recently have been getting migraines before my period as well. I have NO sex drive what so ever and I am as dry as a desert also! I have had terrible mood swings to the point where I can not control my anger. I know that i should not get so upset, but I can't help but get irritated over such insignificant things. I also experience some depression and catch myself crying at nothing. None of this is typical for me and I have thought I was falling apart. I am tired of feeling fat, swollen, angry, sad, having headaches, cramps and not being attracted to my fiance anymore! I am not taking this horrible pill anymore starting today!!! I have taken myself off in the past and my face became very oily and my hair would even get oily before the day was even up. That side effect caused me to start taking it again. I'm going to just deal with it now!

I am 38 and took YAZ for two years. At first it seemed like a wonder drug. I didn't have a period the entire time I took them and my MD said that was normal for some women. After about a year, I started having night sweats, leg cramps, and increased moodiness...like things that should just aggravate me made me down right angry. I also started having considerable swelling in my hands and feet that was present most of the time. After a night of research on the internet trying to figure out what was wrong with me (my thyroid?) I landed on a few sights about YAZ and felt like my prayers were answered. Every single thing that was happening to me: sweats, swelling, cramps, low sex drive, fatigue, headaches, GI upset...could be attributed to YAZ. I stopped taking it immediately. It's only been about a month and I'm still feeling a little tired and moody, but my legs don't cramp, my rings fit my fingers, no more night sweats, and I have the hots for my hubby again. Life if Good! :)

I have been on Yaz for a while now, at least 2 years. I was fine at first, but about a year ago I developed a gastrointestinal issue that is off the charts! My doctor has been trying to diagnose it for a year now. Everything is normal, which take my word for it, is impossible. NO ONE goes to the bathroom this way and so often, not to mention the abdominal pain!! Looking back, my headaches increased and my irritability went way up as well. I have NO energy, I sleep all the time and I have NO sex drive either. I also have lower back pain,that no one can explain.

I am going off Yaz today.

I AM NOT CRAZY!!!!! I literally started crying once I read the first post. I started taking YAZ 6 months ago after giving birth to my third son. I cannot believe that I have finally found an answer to my insanity. I haven't taken my pill today and I will never take birth control ever again. I cannot believe that so many woman are having life threatening side effects and doctors are still prescribing this medication! I have had horrible mood swings, no sex drive, headaches, back and neck pain, fatigue, low energy, irritability, depression, crying spells, anxiety, pain whenever I do have sex, loss of hair, and hot flashes. I truly am elated to know that finally the clouds will soon disappear and I will see the sun again.

Yaz was a nightmare for me.
I had been on birth control for several years, and had minor symptoms, but they were tolerable and mostly physical- ie, some bloating, headaches, etc. But Yaz came with more mental/emotional side effects than I ever thought possible.
The worst has been the depression/anxiety. I always considered myself happy and laid back... this pill made me an emotional train wreck. In the middle of the day, I would usually be fine, but in the mornings and at night, I felt much different- very sad, anxious, irritable. Nothing was triggering this- everything was going fine in my life, no reason to be depressed. Most mornings I would just wake up very sad and hopeless, wanting to cry, but not sure why. Then later in the day, I would think back and wonder "why was I so upset?". It was the strangest thing. I felt tired most of the time, loss of motivation, loss of "zest for life". The things that I usually LIKED to do, I had no interest in. It was tough.
In addition to the crazy mental nonsense, I also experienced hot flashes- especially at night and in the first couple hours of waking up. No weight changes that I noticed. Headaches often. Anxiety often.
Ugh. I stopped taking Yaz about 3 weeks ago, and I feel like my hormone levels are still out of whack.

I've only been on Yaz for about 1 week now. The following may seem strange, but I've been paying very close attention as my pmdd was so bad that my fiance was contemplating leaving me. What I experienced right away: more balance in my mood meaning that I nothing was too high or low, at the same time though in the mornings i woke up feeling depressed. High sex drive and two of the best orgasms I've ever experienced. Slight constant headache. Become teary at least once per day, but the thing is...these are feelings I used to just stuff... but now I am expressing them so it's actually a benefit. I asked him tonight,... "have you noticed a difference?" He said "Oh yeah". I'm laughing most of the time (he's really funny), i'm more light hearted and less serious! I'm more balanced in my thinking. I hate the headaches though.

Yaz was not what I'd hoped for...Instead, of relieving pre-menstrual symptoms, it only extended and exaggerated them. I had feelings of extreme apathy, exhaustion (i could sleep at any time), severe mood swings, headaches, weight gain, bloating, increased appetite, blood pressure increase from 90/60 to 120/75, cramping(both intestinal and uterine w/spotting), and dyspenea. I felt like my whole life and body were sliding down a hill. .. BAD feeling ....depression! This was only after taking it10 days. Immediately, I knew it was the Yaz. The first pill I took for almost 2 years 20 years ago...I was miserable. Since then, I've tried different pills all with the same results. Ironically, I had to take pergonal to ovulate and get pregnant. (My quadruplets are 12yrs.old and wonderful!) After a year of convincing, my long-time Dr., a female close to my age, thought Yaz would be great for me. I was supposed to take it for 3 mts. The symptoms were like a train. I'd be insane, dead or both in three months. I stopped and it was like stopping a train...severe headache, and more of the same symptoms, but each day is better. I can and you can read your body and listen to it. Do not let self -doubt slide in...Medical professionals want to help you and they should listen; if they don't, they are missing half of the picture, your picture. This time, quite honestly and even b/f I read this board, it made me wonder how many lives are affected
by such...I mean depression, clots, blood pressure, headaches, weight issues and many others...even the divorce rate. We have to have birth control. For me I'll just stick to a little bit of acne, and predictable PMSuntil I go into menopause. I know that others need something very different, and I encourage you to keep searching and communicating.

I started taking Yaz about a year ago. I started taking it around the time my brother died in a car accident. I thought that my loss of libido, tiredness, lack of interest in everything, emotional outbursts, arguing with my husband for any reason, crying over nothing, unable to concentrate while studying and unable to remember a thing were all because of my brothers death. I am now thinking that this may be due to Yaz. Does this sound like Yaz side effects? or am I suffering from depression because of my brothers death. I just haven't felt right lately and I cant figure it out.

I am 41 and have been taking Yaz for about 6 months. My skin is much clearer and that is nice, but on the other hand I have had a continuous headache for two weeks now. Just in case, I took meds for a sinus infection but the headache has stayed... so now I am being treated for migraines. The problem is: the meds for migraines don't work. I am wondering now if it is the Yaz. When I first started taking it I got headaches at the beginning of each new packet, but now it's non-stop. After reading some of these posts, I am worried that coming off it will also have side effects, but it can't be anything (I hope) like the pain and fatigue associated with a long, drawn out headache. I am deeply scared that this headache will turn into a stroke or a tumor or something.

i have been on yaz for about 2.5 yrs and i have had it im 23yrs old and have absolutely no sex drive and before i started the pill it was great! i freak out on just about anything.i also am constantly tired i will sleep whenever i can and still be able to go to sleep at night. i'm lucky to have such a great boyfriend who tolerates me and still loves and wants to be with me. i have to get off this pill i was very questionable about it anyway and now after reading all these posts i'm done. i can't believe how much one pill can do. i did read the people who love it and i'm glad it works for them, but for those who hate it i'm with you i cant believe how much i've changed mentally, physically, sexually, and emotionally how can one pill change all this i have no idea but i'm hoping that once i stop yaz i will feel like my old self again..i've actually kinda forgotten how that feels but looking forward to getting better.

Yaz is AWFUL I took it for 5 months and it made me have headaches a lot, feel dizzy, diarrhea, throwing up and anxiety. It also made me feel like I didn't want to do anything and just really tired. It started making me feel really different the past month and I just realized that it was the birth control because i'm not on any other meds and that was the only other possible thing. These birth controls are not good for anybody to be taking. The FDA are using us to see what side effects it will have on us, I don't know about you but i'm not going to be there lab ratz anymore.

i'm 35 years old and started taking yaz one month ago. i have felt as if i have had PMS for one month straight! i have spotted or bled the entire month, have been extremely moody with my husband and children, my breasts have grown by a full cup size (and no, i'm not happy with this development), i've gained about 5 pounds (all i want to eat is Christmas cookies all the time!), and headaches. i have never been on the pill before and thought i might try yaz for pms and acne. my skin does look better, but it's not worth my sanity!

I am 25 years old and have been on Yaz for 3 weeks now, taking my first white pill today. So far I have experienced nausea everyday like it was morning sickness, I even threw up at least four times. I have experienced headaches, dizziness, back and shoulder pain, fatigue ... but the nausea is the worst. I couldn't even look or smell my boyfriends dinner the other night because I thought I would get sick. Also, for three weeks straight, everyday I have had bleeding ... EVERYDAY! I've also been overly emotional ... even watching Survivor last night had me crying ... a lot. Lastly, I have had no sex drive, don't even want to be bothered. POSITIVES: My boobs grew out of all my old bras, and my acne has disappeared (which is the reason I began Yaz). Honestly, because I am having relief from acne, mind you I'm 25 and have only had this problem for the past couple years, I am going to continue Yaz for another month and see if things get better. But I fear the visit of my period! Good luck to you, and thanks for sharing!

GOOD NEWS THE FDA HAS GIVEN BAYER A WARNING BECAUST THIER ADVERISING WAS NOT SAFE FOR THE PUBLIC.
You can find the exact wording at fda.gov under "drugs" than under "consmer" {info or something},
once you're there search Yaz. Anyways I plan on contacting all the lawyers that I did a few months
ago to let them know bayer was warned that their advertising didn't warn women well enough of the
potential dangers. I believe Yaz should be off the market or at bare minimum have MUCH MUCH better
warnings. I am apparently not the only feeling this frustration so I think we should all contact
the same lawyers and anyone who wants a list from me please e-mail me and if the lawyers hear from
all of us and know about the warning the least that would happen is they would be prepared when
more problems were addressed by the FDA and I think we all know what the best out come would be.
IF YOU WANT YAZ OFF THE MARKET PLEASE CONTACT THE FDA, FDC, AND BAYER { EVEN THOUGH YOU'LL FIND
BAYER DOESN'T HAVE ANY INFO FOR YOU}. Let me know if you want the lawyer the list. Thanks to
everyone who has already contacted the FDA {who knew it would really work}.

I was on Yaz a few years ago, and decided to stop because I was no longer sexually active. However I just went back on, and within a week on the pack I started experiencing these weird headaches, next to the irregular bleeding, cramping, and fatigue like symptoms. I know that the bleeding is supposedly normal, however the headaches/migraines felt worse than my usual caffeine withdrawals. I just spoke to my doctor and he told me to get off the pill RIGHT AWAY. He said that what i'm experiencing right now could possibly lead to a stroke.

I was on Yaz a few years ago, and decided to stop because I was no longer sexually active. However I just went back on, and within a week on the pack I started experiencing these weird headaches, next to the irregular bleeding, cramping, and fatigue like symptoms. I know that the bleeding is supposedly normal, however the headaches/migraines felt worse than my usual caffeine withdrawals. I just spoke to my doctor and he told me to get off the pill RIGHT AWAY. He said that what i'm experiencing right now could possibly lead to a stroke.

I've been on Yaz for about 2+ years now. I'm a healthy 23 year old. Recently I started breaking out in hives and itching all over constantly. After listing every possible allergy it could be, something brought my attention to the one everyday constant thing- Yaz. I went to read about allergic reactions to this medicine and noticed I have at least TEN side effects! Headaches daily as if on a schedule, intolerance to wearing contact lenses (of which I wore well before starting Yaz just fine), weight gain (I eat moderately but crave junk food even when i'm not hungry!), moodiness (yikes.. this one is really horrible.. I owe my friends and fiance a huge apology!) and irritability unlike anything I've ever known. I break at the smallest thing. I've been looking at changing methods for a few weeks now, but now I know it's making me go crazy, I'm stopping immediately! My fiance and I have discussed this and we both think it has to be done. I'm ready to get back to my old, sane self!!!!! Reading other users posts and the Yaz website has really confirmed my decision. I am sensitive to medicines and don't know why it's just now affecting my body. I'm ready to find something else, even it if means longer periods! Do your research before taking this drug!!

I took a generic ortho tri cyclen for 3 years, and recently my doctor switched me to Yaz. I haven't had any problems with headaches, insomnia, cloudy eyes, but what I have experienced is: on the first pack, about a week of spotting; 2nd pack, about a week of spotting; 3rd pack, a 2 week period that is still going. YIKES!! I asked for shorter periods. Even without bc I never had a period that exceeded 4 days. I'm going to give YAZ the benefit of the doubt and try month 4, but if no change, I will be switching!

Wow. I am glad I came across this site. I have been having weird headaches, heart pains/palpitations, mild nausea, and pains in my limbs. I felt crazy for going to my doctor about so many different things, but I have been on Yaz for three months now and have just "not felt right" for a while.
I spent 4 hours in the hospital today trying to figure out what was wrong with me, and they said everything turned up perfectly fine, but I STILL DON'T FEEL GOOD at all. So Thanks to this I have decided to quit taking the pill to see if i feel any better. I am shocked at how dangerous of a drug this appears to be. Thank you everyone.

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.