Yaz and libido

I've been taking Yaz for about 2 years now. I didn't notice any symptoms right away. In fact, I loved it in the beginning. It calmed my PMDD tremendously. I loved the fact that the mood swings I had been having were much improved. There was some breast tenderness but no big deal.
My symptoms have gotten increasingly worse over the past 6 months. Horrible headaches on an almost daily basis. Nausea 4-5 times per week. Extreme anxiety and panic attacks. Depression and suicidal thoughts. I constantly crave food...not necessarily that I'm hungry but I always want to eat. I have gained 20-25 pounds. I weigh more now than I ever have in my whole life!! Shortness of breath. Chest pains. No energy. It is killing my relationship with my fiance. We USED to have a healthy, active sex life. My libido has diminished to the point of being (basically) nonexistent. When we do have sex, it is extremely painful. Instead of enjoying it, I can't wait for it to be over. Of course, this is due to the fact that, as many other women on this site have stated, it blocks or binds free testosterone. I guess killing the desire to have sex in the first place is one way of avoiding pregnancy.
I recognize that there are side effects with any medication. But this pill creates\d some serious quality of life issues FOR ME. After reading this site and realizing ALL the uncomfortable symptoms I've been experiencing over the last 6 months are related to this (expensive) little pink pill, I threw the pack away. I'm not going to tell anyone else what to do b/c, hey, some women out there may have no probs with it.

Agree with the earlier post -- read the drug insert that comes with your Rx! Majority of these side effects are well-known. Blood clots are a very well-known potential side effect of hormonal birth control -- non common but certainly devastating if it happens. Chances are good that these individuals have a genetic tendency toward abnormal clotting. The only good news for these gals is that they've had a warning (it's likely to happen again).
Re sexual dysfunction, it is a VERY common side effect of all hormonal BC. But especially with Yasmin and Yaz -- the form of progestin in these BC pills has anti-testosterone action which is great for acne but lousy for your sex life. Unfortunately, you might not be able to have clear skin AND libido.
For those with serious mood disorders on the pill, consider non hormonal forms of BC -- copper IUD inserted by an experienced clinician is worth considering.
And gals in your 40s, guess what? PMS often gets worse with age and then slides right into perimenopausal symptoms (did u know 10% of women never stop having hot flashes?!). Normalizing with BC pills is an option, but the sexual side effects are even worse for us older gals.

I'm on the third week of my second month on Yaz, and I am so grateful for this site. Just last night I had calve spasms - I had NO idea that had anything to do with my birth control. I have the complete opposite libido effect, my body wants sex ALL the time. I say I have suicidal thoughts, but I have never seriously thought about doing physical harm, I've just had the "I should just take fifteen Advil and put an end to my misery" thoughts.. which I guess are, normal? I have awful mood swings. It's like I live in two realities, the one I lived in before, where my life was wonderful, and the one I live in now - It's almost like I can SEE the evil in people, I can see them manipulating and taking advantage of me, people I love. People that would never do these things to me. I never had these feelings before I got on Yaz. Something is definitely wrong, and this has pretty much ruined my birth control experience.

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

I haven't taken BCP's in about 15 years. I recently started due to severe endomistriosis and extreme moodiness (which I believed was PMDD) I went to my gyno and she put me on YAZ. I am on my 2nd month of YAZ. My first month was fine and I actually enjoyed not having my period for the first time in a million years and my moodiness seemed to be gone. I am now into my 2nd week of my 2nd month and I have to say it sort of sucks. Im on the fence about this product. It has decreased the severity of my PMS symptoms as far as the pain goes, but I still got all of my usual symptoms (only less painful) except for the extreme moodiness. And, even though I have been consistent about taking the pill I have had a very very light but steady period for the past 6 or so days (which is actually longer than my normal periods). The other bad things about this pill is I have had a complete drop in libido and very extreme fatigue, to the point where I feel like a walking zombie. I would have to say the only thing good about it is the fact that my severe moodiness (during PMS) was completely gone, and it lightened my PMS symptoms and flow. So, I haven't decided if this is working for me or not.

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

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

I'm 36 yrs old. I went on Yaz 2 full months ago not for birth control purposes, but to control heavy bleeding, my hair falling out (not hair loss, it grows back), memory problems, period-related fatigue, and extreme moodiness and irritability. So far, I haven't had any negative emotional side effects that others of you have. In fact, it seems to have helped my moodiness and irritability slightly. However, I have experienced two side effects that I cannot tolerate if it doesn't "work itself out" (my doc's words) by the end of my 3rd pack of Yaz. From the first week that I was on Yaz, my libido has been M.I.A. Not only has my sex drive disappeared, but I have found thoughts of sex repulsing me. :( I apologize if this next statement is "TMI" (too much info) but it IS a side effect of this pill that I have experienced! When hubby and I are intimate, I find it IMPOSSIBLE to climax, no matter how hard we try and how "into it" I am. This is not normal for me. This side effect is very disturbing for my husband, who is now insisting that I stop taking the Yaz. I am giving this pill one more month to redeem itself, otherwise it will never set pretty little packet in my house again.

The first month on Yaz was great because I was better able to control my mood swings and had less of them. However, during the four day placebo I felt like I was having withdrawals because I would bite my boyfriends head off at the drop of a dime and I hated life in general. I also had diarrhea and nausea prior to the beginning of my period. I experienced spotting the first
13 days of taking Yaz. My sex drive increased tremendously.
During the second month on Yaz I noticed my libido declined dramatically! Three nights before my period started I had horrble stomache cramps and nausea at 4:a.m. and had horrible diarrhea at 4;a.m. before my period started the next day. My flow is a very dark red, almost purple, which is different than it has ever been. I will try Yaz for a 3rd month and see how things go. So far I have do not have enough of a reason to want to continue taking this drug.