Yaz and headaches

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.

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????

I have been on Yaz now for a little over a year. I'm only 18 and I'm always exhausted and sore. My whole body aches almost all the time. Like most others on Yaz, I've been having really bad headaches on and off. I just found out today that the maker of Yaz is actually being sued because Yaz is such a dangerous drug. Exact words from the article: "ATTENTION: YAZ YASMIN PRESCRIPTION DRUG NEWS, On October 3, 2008, the United States government ordered the manufacturer of YAZ/YASMIN, a powerful birth control pill, to stop advertising that misleads the public regarding the value and safety of this drug. If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or death after using YAZ/YASMIN, please call right now. SERIOUS INJURY LAWYERS"

That's an article from Phillips and associates...Apparently this isn't such a safe BC.

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?

I am 16 years old and i have been on YAZ for almost a year now. I have had horrible luck with it. In the beginning my mood completely changed! i was really mean to all my best friends and parents. I felt like i was bipolar. Im not a mean person and felt horrible about the way i was acting to everyone at the time. i would say "ITS NOT ME, ITS THE PILL"

about 6 or 7 months into the pill my mood swings changed and i felt normal again. but i kept getting constipated, but i never thought it was the pill. i also started to get headaches, but didn't think it was a side effect.

now i am extremely constipated and get severe headaches everyday! i never can think straight and it effects my school work. Being constipated was the worst part of this pill. i ate TONS of fiber and nothing worked. I looked online for symptoms for YAZ and only a couple said they were also constipated. I would be constipated for 1 or 2 weeks straight. this was way worse then period cramps!!!

i also had nausea almost once a week. Its hard to sleep, i sometimes wake up 3 or 4 times a night. I also get sharp shooting pains up and down my legs and arms. (which is a little scary)

Tonight i have desiced to stop taking YAZ. I would rather deal with my periods then have to deal with the horrible effects of this birth control!!!!

Well, I've been on Yaz for 5 months. I was on Ortho tricyclin lo and was fine with it, but my doctor switch me because I stopped nursing my youngest child. So at first I thought that it was great! I stopped getting my periods! What woman actually wants periods? But at the end of each month I was always scared that I could be pregnant and not even know it because I never got my period, which my doctor said was normal... So on top of the $55 a month the yaz cost me, I was also buying pregnancy test each month!

Well, I started having issues in June about a month after I started Yaz, but I didn't put it all together until right now... I have extreme headaches, nausea, diarrhea, terrible menstrual like cramping all the time and like other people said, during sex I am really dry...At this point I have decided to stop taking yaz and switch to something else... I just feel awful all the time.. getting my period once a month is way better than feeling like this!

All the advantages my Doctor told me about taking Yaz... none of them were true for me...

I started taking Yaz only 6 days ago and I started getting headaches and some nausea. This subsided by day 4 or 5. By about day 5 I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. I have been sobbing and feeling deeply depressed. I was sent home from work today (day 6 on Yaz) because of my "unexplainable" sobbing and lack of emotional control. Not only is this behavior completely unlike me, it was embarrassing. I have never suffered from depression, nor does it run in my family. Judging from this experience, I would not recommend this Birth Control pill to ANYONE, it is harmful and toxic to your body.

Thank God for this Site!!!

Just wanted to add a recent post. I have all the same symptoms... fatigue, emotional roller coaster, dizziness, headaches, as well as feeling incredibly insecure. I want NOTHING to do with sex. TMI warning... My boyfriend and I used to have sex AT LEAST on a daily basis, now I cant stand to think about it. I am 25 and have played sports all my life. I even coach for a high school team. This BC is aweful. On top of not having enough energy to do ANYTHING, when I pushed myself to workout, there were absolutely NO results. This is a debilitating drug that has been branded with an incredible amount of false advertising. It seems the pro's that the company braggs about the most, couldn't be further from the truth.
So once again, if you don not want:
Dizziness
Eye sensitivity and pain
Extreme mood swings ( from throwing things to crying over commercials)
Severe cramping (even when not on your period)
Insecurity
Weight gain and inability to loose weight
Food craving
Migraines
Oily hair
acne
Fatigue
DO NOT TAKE YAZ!!!!!

I am so glad this site exists! I thought I was losing my mind with all my side effects. I really didn't think to blame my birth control but all the side effects kept adding up! Enough to make me google search them! I'm 25 years old and have been on YAZ for 13 months. I have experienced the following side effects: NO SEX DRIVE! Even when I try... I "dry up" quickly! =( Breakthrough bleeding(which can be three weeks of spotting). Headaches. Sinus pain. Breakouts. Fatigue. (I can sleep for more than 12 hours at a time!) Anger/rage issues (resulting in physical violence). Emotional mess! I was prescribed YAZ because I was getting very painful ovarian cysts. Prior to YAZ I was on Ortho Lo which made me a crying, screaming, hairbrush throwing lunatic. But at least I has a sex drive! I noticed how different I felt when I was on a week long prescription of antibiotics for an infection of my foot. My YAZ wasn't working and I felt like a million bucks. I obviously need to be on some form of birth control for the cysts but I will be contacting my doctor asap to get this changed!!

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?

Oh hey I also get headaches before my period and when I have my period I know that it isn't from yaz, because I have had that already when I get my periods, and for the back pain and stuff I was in a car accident and that is from that, and I did have mood swings to they got better but I do get them once in awhile when I got my period, I don't want to kill myself or anything I have also PMDD and this helps that I think. So the thing I can't stand is the yeast infections do they get better once you have been on the pills? I have had yeast infections at the beginning of taking new pills to.

write ******

Changes since my 7/31 post: Headaches are gone, but still have lower back pain, breast tenderness, stomach pain, eat only because I know I have to and now I think my hair is falling out more than before. I went into a fit of rage last night for NO REASON, woke up mad at the world today and then busted out crying when I was blow drying my hair. I swear you felt like you are going nuts. I was thinking what in the world just happened! I get soooo angry and that is one of the reasons my Gyno put me on Yaz in the first place was to regulate my mood and anger issues getting closer to my period. I have 4 pills until I am supposed to start my period so I am going to see if these anger and crying issues hang around or was just a fluke. I sure hope so, I don't know if a lighter period is worth the roller coaster ride on emotions!

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!

Wow, I am so excited to find this site. I have been on Yaz for 9 days now, & I am stopping today. I am shaky, cranky, bloated, having heart palpitations, extreme head pressure, back pain. On top of all that I feel like it is the week before my period times 10. My patience is very short & I am having angry thoughts that I have never had before. I thought it was just me. I am so glad I'm not alone. My eyes also feel pressure & hurt. My husband said that after a few days of taking it I have seemed withdrawn & in la la land. I am also very clumsy, dropping things all the time, & forgetting little things. This birth control is not good!!!!

I was taking YAZ for 6 months. The first few months I felt very anxious, had headaches, and no sex drive at all. Periods weren't right the first two months. The second 2 months I was still feeling very tired all the time, anxious, major headaches, numbness in arms/hands, blurred vision at times, and I was an emotional wreck, but my periods were normal. The last two months were horrible! I was having all the symptoms I wrote about above, having two week long periods, major head pressure/headaches, I noticed my hair was falling out more, and my period was lasting 2 weeks both months. I went to the Doctor, and she tested my thyroid, which came back normal. Now she is going to put me on Lo-Ovral. Hope it helps.

I am writing for my 14 year old daughter who was put on YAZ, not for birth control as she is not sexually active but for her mood disorder, which I believe is just being a teenager in general...but her therapist told her that it would help her moods, acne and that it even would help her loose weight! cant stand doctors at this point, have no faith in the system at all. I should have had her read this site because..... since day 2, severe stomach pains, throws up every day. shortness for breath ~ pains in her back and shoulder and down her arm like a heart attack. nose bleeds, headaches and OMG moods ~ cant even express the mood that she has been in for 3 weeks. so last week I take her to the doctor ~ of course a nurse practitioner sees her instead of the doctor that is not in. and asks my 14 year old if she would like prilosec or pepsid or zantac? asks a 14 year old and then offers her naperson and tells her that she should try these along with the YAZ. when I questioned the rational of keeping her on this drug she became defensive and said we should try it out for a couple of months. I allowed her to try this way for 2 days and then said nope no more pills. Just came home from the doctors office where they immediately took blood and is sending her for a sonogram to see if she has any cysts in her ovaries. I am just disgusted with the medical doctors who push pills and pharmaceuticals who don't give a damn but to make money. Will keep my eyes out for the lawsuits now. For camp refund for all the days she has missed for taking this horrible drug. hopefully she will not have any long term problems. will always think of this pill if she does.

I have been on Yaz for one month now and I had a heavier period than normal for the first month. I was on Loestrin 24 Fe for 2 or 3 years and I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I switched because Loestrin gave me extreme headaches, stomachaches, weight gain. Other than the heavier period everything on Yaz has been wonderful. Did anyone else have this problem and will it even out.

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 just took myself off YAZ because of a calf cramp that was so severe we suspected a blood clot -- through investigation found out I DIDN"T HAVE ENOUGH BLOOD TO CLOT -- was so anemic they were worried in the ER I'd have a HEART ATTACK. I had just shy of 33% of the normal amount of blood -- no ownder I had headaches, was dizzy, had shortness of breath, etc, etc . . . no wonder, eh?

Everyone would APPLAUD my low, low, low blood pressure --- yeah me! Not.

Anyone else have serious, debilitating, blood-transfusion worthy anemia on YAZ? or is it just me?

KR

I'm 2 rows into my 2nd pack of Yaz. It's my first birth control and was told by my doctor to give it a try a couple months and let my body try to adjust. Toward the end of the first month I got very moody, much unlike myself, annoyed with small things, and really upset my boyfriend and snapped at him unjustly. Off the pill, I had max 3 day periods, my first one on Yaz started the morning after my last pink pill of the month and lasted 7 days steady. My mood was the worst toward the end of that, and I was crying over things I normally wouldn't tear up about. Now, 2 weeks into the 2nd month, I'm cramping up already & have a noticeable lack of libido. I am thinking about switching, but feel like 3 months would be appropriate to try to adjust. Nice to know I'm not the only one with these symptoms. It's also nice to know it could be much worse, for example, I've never had a migraine, and haven't noticed any additional headaches since I started. Just hoping I adjust soon, because I'd hate to change and go through another readjusting phase.

I am 20 years old and have been on Yaz for a year now. Before the Yaz I was on OrthoTriCylcen Lo for 3 years and tried a few others that didn't do well for me at other times. My Gyno prescribed me Yaz because I had heavy bleeding and intense pain every time my period comes, and I have been known to be very moody. I have a past medical history of heart problems and GI problems. My Gyno said Yaz could also help the anxiety from those issues. The first month into the Yaz I noticed horrible nausea, I couldn't eat anything, major stomach pain, headaches, very lethargic, back pain, leg pain, and increased anxiety. I went back to my Gyno about a week later because my pain was so bad and my bleeding was heavier and MORE painful. She said to give it a few months so my body can adapt and everything will be better. She then said that my other side effects (like nausea and back pain and anxiety) were unrelated and I needed to see my primary care physician. My mom told me to stop using the Yaz, but I decided I wanted to keep trying it. So no I see my primary physician once a month because I am so "sick." I am on like 10,000 meds to try and help everything. Even he doesn't think it could be the Yaz. There are days where my pain levels are so high that I cannot sleep or get out of bed. I have had blood work, MRIs, Sonograms, Colonoscopys, Ultrasounds, etc.. I am so tired of this. At this point I feel like the doctors think i'm a hypochondriac. I have an apt to see my gyno again (for the 5th time), i'm printing out this page and showing her i'm not crazy!

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!

Wow. I thought I was going crazy. I have PMDD and go through my 'psychotic' periods the week and a half before my period starts. I had the worst one ever last/this month. I don't think I have experienced anything this bad before. I started YAZ at the beginning of May. I tried Apri before and it caused me to have my period for 18 days, followed by 7 days of brown gunky blood and then my period for 15 days. On YAZ, my period lasted 11 days. I normally have a 5-8 day period which is very heavy. It was not as heavy, but it lasted longer with intermittent days of the brown gunky blood. I have also been experiencing more frequent panic attacks and depression. My stomach has been upset and my head has been hurting constantly. I am used to getting migraines, but not normal headaches. I have also experienced dizziness. One think I did not attribute to the YAZ is the change in my vision. But I read in a prior post that someone has had an issue with that also.

I have had the above symptoms because of other ailments, but they were basically gone, until I started the YAZ.

I have been taking Yaz for about 6 months. I am astounded at this website. I never even thought that the symptoms I have been feeling could be attributed to my BC. I am 38 and overweight. BC is a necessity for me and I changed to YAZ for headaches. At first, the headaches were better, but now I am having them quite frequently. I am also having mood swings and anxiety about things that normally wouldn't bother me. Added to the fact that I have been diagnosed with acid reflux and take Zantac and Aciphex, I am beginning to wonder. I am going to call my gyno tomorrow and see if I can make a change over the phone. I doubt it, but maybe. Thanks for all of your posts. K

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!

WOW!!! I am so glad i decided to google Yaz. I actually stopped taking Yaz 3 days ago. Not because i felt i was having problems...but because i just no longer need birth control. Little did i know that it was the cause of a lot of my problems. I was diagnosed with Anxiety disorder at 18 and i am now 28. I stopped taking antidepressants about 2 years ago. I have been doing great! then i started taking Yaz...UH O! all of the sudden i was having mood swings, anxiety attacks, headaches, dizzy spells...ugh i thought i was loosing it! of course i related it to my anxiety disorder and fugured i just needed to get back on meds. Surprise, surprise my doctors said the same thing. I even asked "Could it be the new birth control i am on?"..DOc- "O no, Yaz is great ...no anxiety side effects"...
So of course i listen to my doctor and continue the pill. I got back on prozac (I really didn't want to) but what else could i do...i was going crazt and my doctors said YAZ had nothing to do with it...UM HELLO!!! did they research this drug?????? Obviously not..it says right on the website "May cause anxiety" UGH!!!
I just stopped the Pill 3 days ago and i am hoping that all these problems go away and i can eventually get off Prozac as well. THe only major problem i am having now is that i stopped the pill mid cycle and now i am having a really HEAVY period. i never had heavy periods before :(... I am hoping that this goes away and all goes back to normal...
CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THEY TOO HAD A VERY HEAVY PERIOD AFTER STOPPING YAZ?????????
AGAIN THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR ME..NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH HEAVY PERIODS!

THANK YOU,

Thank you all for sharing. I couldn't figure out why for the last 4 months I have been extremely exhausted and the only thing I had changed in my life was starting Yaz. This morning I just couldn't take it anymore so I started to google "side effects" from Yaz. I had gone to my doctor and told her there is something wrong but I don't know what it was. She blew it off and said it was depression and told me to take anti-depression medication. I have had major depression in my past and know what it feels like and I was 100% sure that there was something strange happening to my body, not depression. My other side effect, besides the common ones many people wrote about was severe body aches. I am 34 and it feels like I am 80. It is hard for me to get out of bed without giving a good holler. My moodiness, sleeplessness, bloating, headaches, body aches, and feeling exhausted 24 hours a day has halted my life. I am stopping Yaz TODAY!!!!
Charity

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 have been taking birth control pills, patch, NuvaRing for 12 or 13 years now and I am now going on my 2nd and last month on Yaz. Since I started taking this pill my tiredness has turned in exhaustion. My finance and family members have been saying that I am moody lately. I feel highly irritable. During the first month the headaches were on/off. Now I have a headache for two days straight. I can’t wait to finish up the month and be done with Yaz for good. The only reason why I am planning on finishing out the month is because I am getting married in August and don’t want to change when I will get my period.
DON’T switch to this pill.

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.

YAZ!!!! It is great at first, have been on it for three months, and am going back to Ortho Tri-Cyclene Lo!!!! I thought it was fine at first and then I beleive I thought I was going crazy. Very emotional, fatigued(fell asleep, more like passed out for two hours with a two year old at home), I wasn't even this tired when I was pregnant. I am depressed, anxious, have no patients at all for anybody, rage, rage, rage, and headaches. You definately don't have PMS, PMD because you just have it all the time. Instead of only a week of being emotionally nuts, it just spreads itself over to everyday. Yaz slowly turns you into a emotional nightmare. I was NEVER like this while on other BC, only YAZ. I would not recommend it unless you like being depressed, tired, anxious, emotional, and plain out crazy. I was honestly going to seek out medical help for my depression and emotional problems before I figured out it was YAZ. I couldn't live with my husband and two kids they way I was feeling. I was miserable and making them miserable too. They are constantly walking on eggshells with me, and they never know and I never know when I am going to start yelling at them in a fit of rage that is hard to control. I went absolutly nuts when my two year old spilled her bowl of watermelon on a concrete floor. Watermelon?!?!?!!! Not glue, paint, nail polish just watermelon on a dirty CONCRETE not carpeted floor. Rediculous!!!! I know it's crazy but that is what the YAZ turned me into. It sounds great, that is why I started taking it, but over time it is just too good to be true. Stay away from YAZ !!!!!

I have been on Yaz for about 3 weeks now. About 2 days into it, I started spotting lightly, which progressively got worse. For the past week it's been as heavy as a normal period. I've had headaches every day, and I've been nausious since day one, and had diarhhea just about every time I eat. I have had bouts with anxiety and depression and just feeling overwhelmed, and exhausted! I am calling to make an appointment next week to switch to something else. This is awful.

I'm 50 and was having a hard time with perimenopause and really heavy periods. This was the end of my 2nd month on Yaz. I had lots of headaches and tracer like lights (floaters) but everything else was okay, maybe a little depressed. But suddenly this week (with 5 pills left before the white ones) I started having uncontrollable panic attacks. I went to the dr. and came home with Valium (talked myself out of going on Zoloft). Then things got so bad on Saturday I went to the dr. and got some Zoloft. While at the pharmacy I asked about anxiety and panic attacks having something to do with Yaz. She said yes. I came home and found this site. Zoloft is still in the bottle. I threw the rest of the Yaz away. I like the weight loss, shorter period, less PMS, but I can't function having panic attacks. Guess I'll just go cold turkey on perimenopause - it can't last that much longer (yeah, right! ;-))

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.

So I've been on Yaz for over 4 months now. I'm 23 years old and have never had bc before (don't need it) My GYN put me on this pill to prevent another ovarian cyst rupture. (i was hospitalized in Dec because i had a 4cm cyst on my ovary that filled with blood and ruptured. Very painful!!) so like i said, i am taking this to prevent that again since Yaz stops ovulation.

The first month was pretty rough. (like i expected) Extreme mood swings, very tender breasts, headaches, slight nausea, and my preiod was a week and a half late then lasted for 16 days and was VERY heavy.

Onto month 2: Same mood swings, breasts still extremely tender, reduced amount of headaches and my period came on the 3 placebo day and was VERY light this time lasting only a day and a half.

Month 3: No more mood swings, breasts no longer tender although bigger in size, Extreme nausea but only lasted for 4 days, and this time my period was more normal ( lasting about 5 days and not too heavy or light).

On my 4th month, things seem to be normal. GYN says i lost some weight from Yaz even though it has made me feel bloated so i thought i had gained weight. Weird. But my period seems to be on a timed clock now coming every 3rd placebo.

So like the GYN's tell you, It takes up to 3 months for your body to get used to the hormones being added to your body. Expect some side effects for a while. Everyone is different but for me the side effects diminished after the 3rd month. Hope this helps. :D

I'm 27, 125 pounds... I started taking Yaz one month ago. I had to beg my doctor to give it to me. My periods were so heavy and I was carrying 10 pounds of water weight at all times. My fingers and face was swollen with water. My periods would last sometimes the entire month and were super heavy. I tried several different pills and nothing stopped it. Immediately when starting Yaz I stopped bleeding. I peed for like 4 days straight and lost all the water weight. I also get migraines with my period, and Yaz hasn't seemed to help them at all. The first 3 weeks I had horrid migraine.

The most noticeable change though is that I am extremely emotional. I got angry for the first time in maybe 2 years? I never feel anger. I'm a Buddhist very calm loving and patient... Since taking Yaz I feel like a crazy person. I have almost destroyed my wonderful amazing relationship by being overly emotional. Ive been anxious (never had anxiety before) and depressed and super emotional and inpatient about everything.

I still haven't decided what to do. It's only been one month and physically I feel better as far as not bleeding for months at a time and not holding water. I also feel like I have a normal amount of energy and the headaches that initially were there have subsided. I am horrified if I keep taking this pill though that i will lose my emotional calm and optimism. It's definitely not worth it especially what its been doing to my relationship and my spiritual practice.

Is there anyone that can offer any light to my situation? I love the way I feel physically, but emotionally I cannot do this much longer. Will it stop? Any thoughts would be great, thank you.

I just wanted to give an alternative perspective to the comments on this board.

I've been on Yaz for two months, and I'm very happy with it. The first week or so wasn't great: weird muscle aches, fatigue, lightheadedness occasionally. I had light brownish discharge/spotting for about a week. The second week I had some striking headaches, and over the first two weeks I lost 10 pounds (water weight).

But since then it's been smooth sailing. My period came exactly on time and lasted about 2.5 days. I no longer have any symptoms besides breast tenderness (akin to what my breasts felt like before my period, before).

So - keep in mind when you're reading these negative comments that usually the happy folks don't feel the need to post!

Very Bad Experience.
I didn't want to take a BCP since I try to not put any medications in my body if I don't have to...now I remember why. This medication has had a very negative impact on my quality of life. I have extreme tenderness of my breasts, I am exhausted all the time, my periods are longer and fairly irregular, the cramping is very painful and more regular than before I took Yaz...but the worst thing is my moods. I'm irritable and anxious and crabby. I am critical of everything my boyfriend does even though he's a great guy. I am impatient and seem to find fault and negativity in everything around me where before it was 'glass half full'. The headaches and blurred vision doesn't help either. I'm going back to my old ways and would not recommend taking this bcp to anyone.

Ive been on Yaz since Oct 07.
--At first it was hell. I always got headaches b/c I have strabismus...but i got migraines. I work in a hospital so that was NOT fun at all.
Trying to do charts and all I saw was a blur, trying not to vomit due to the nausea (i get nausea with headaches), the lack of balance was also very attractive :).
--I also got a vaginal infection- I'm not sure if it was due to the pill, but I've never gotten it before. It went away after I had my period. I thought it was my period but after a while, i knew better.
--Also Ive been depressed, I don know if its due to the fast approaching one year anniversary of my nieces killing, or if that was the pill?

After all that mess is done with, I love the pill. It's just my body getting used to it. Ive never done BC before so this was an experience

I went to my OBGYN yesterday for a 4 month f/u on the pill and she was concerned about weight gain. well i LOST 8 lbs. I didn't expect that ha ha.

But the last month+ I've done really well. no migraines or anything!!! yayyyyy