Yaz and mood swings

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 have only been taking Yaz for a week, but noticed the negative side-effects almost immediately. I am on a steady regimen of anti-depressants and couldn’t understand the sudden on set of mood-swings (extreme anger, irritability, sadness, lack of interest, flat-mood, etc.). Also, I have been very fatigued (wanting to sleep 14-16 hours a day).

I am contacting my physician in the morning, but doubt I will continue taking this medication.

I do not recommend Yaz to any woman currently taking prescription anti-depressants.

I have been on Yaz for over a year now and it's been less than pleasant. First the mood swings which I attributed in the beginning to lots of stress (I started taking Yaz about a month before my wedding). The mood swings continued. My anger has been uncontrollable at times and I get upset for nothing. I have always been a reasonable person but Yaz has taken all that from me. After giving it more than enough time for my body to adjust to this pill I have finally decided to get off Yaz next week and talk to my doctor about an alternative option. Apart from mood swing I've experienced severe fatigue no matter how many hours of sleep I get. I can't stop eating, have severe problems with heartburn and constipation. My sex drive is pretty much gone and I am negative about pretty much everything. I really hope that I will get back to my old self once I get off this pill. To everyone out there with similar experiences, I feel for you.

I am 27 years old and have been on YAZ for about 1 year now. I never struggled with acne, long periods, cramps, etc and was simply trying a new form of BC. From my understanding YAZ was suppose to control mood swings but instead gave me horrible MOOD SWINGS. I would be good for a few days, then the next mad, and the next wanting to cry. I started thinking maybe I was depressed or maybe reacting to being stressed but this has gone on for far too long. I don't have the desire for sex as I did before I started taking YAZ and my boyfriend thinks I am crazy. It took me to see a commercial for a law firm in regards to yaz side effects to look up more information concerning the medication when I came across tons of responses from others that have experienced these same effects as I have if not worse. I done as of NOW. This has done nothing but made me a complete train wreck for the past year. I also read that the pill can cause upper respiratory infections/cough and I have had two bouts of Respiratory infections coming out of no where. No cold or allergies at all....Just hoarse and coughing. Please do your research on these pills

I just stopped taking Yaz after being on it for a year and a half. I thought I was just going through normal ups and downs, but after reading this I realize that I was wrong. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't be alone. I had panic attacks. I was a horrible person on Yaz. I cried at least 3 times a week for the stupidest reasons. I snapped at my family and my boyfriend. It got so bad that my boyfriend broke up with me because he could no longer stand my mood swings. Yaz ruined a year long relationship. In addition I have terrible physical side effects- over the past year and a half I gained thirty pounds, my periods were never regular, I was thirsty all the time, I had horrible leg cramps and pains in my upper arms...I am now off Yaz and on Lexapro. I lost 15 pounds and have only cried twice in the past 3 weeks. I haven't felt this good about myself since I started Yaz.

I am so glad to have found this website. Similarly to others, I thought that I was going crazy. I have been taking Yaz for 3 months, but I am stopping today! I have had many side effects including MOOD SWINGS, anxiety, snapping at people for no reason, spotting, decrease in sex drive, difficulty staying asleep, tightness/tingling in upper left arm, warmth in groin area, breast tenderness and nausea. If this pill causes such severe side effects for so many people, why doesn't the FDA remove it from the market? Argggggg

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 had switched from Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo to Trinessa, and Trinessa was making my OCD and anxiety go through the roof. I was thinking that Yaz would be the best choice for me. I decided to talk to my doctor, and she gave me a month trial to see if I liked it or not. I messed up my pills a little bit, so I was late starting. I took my last placebo pill and finally started. It's been a lot of very light bleeding, and brownish discharge. This is my main annoyance with the pill. My periods are normally mildly heaving and last about five to six days. This period has been very light, almost non existent, and I am currently on day two. I have also experienced some mood swings, fatigue, and anxiety.
I will be switching back to Ortho this week.

I can't believe that I finally found the solution to my problem! I didn't know what was happening to me its like I am a whole different person.
My side effects:
mood swings
weight gain
decreased sex drive dramatically
depression
not caring about anyone
feeling like i am the biggest loser in the world
i cry at everything
I take the pill at night and it seems like night time is the worst time. I cry to my boyfriend about how I want more attention from him when he gives me the most attention ever lately. I cry about the stupidest things and he even said somethings wrong with you emotionally.
It's effecting our relationship because I been on Yaz for years and up until the last 2 months i been a complete nut case. I am a freaking psycho and hate everyone. I am so glad I found out what it was and I am stopping this and changing my birth control or just stopping it completely for a little while because I want my life back before I ruin it all.

Reading this page made my entire night because I suddenly know I'm not crazy!! I came on here to do research because lately I have been 100% psychotic and could not figure out why- everything people are describing on here! Anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, irritability, horrible mood swings, crying at EVERYTHING... and I've never been like that before. I switched from Orthotricyclen to Yaz around a year ago and these symptoms have been getting worse and worse. Like so many others here I blamed it on other problems- bad roommates, bad jobs, men, money, etc. But I've dealt with those problems all my life and never had this amount of emotional distress. I'm calling my doctor tomorrow for a new prescription!!

I'm 22 years old and have been on YAZ for 1.5 years. I was originally on Yasmin and was fine but my Gyno suggested that for my body type and slight anemia I was taking more estrogen than necessary, so I agreed to try YAZ. I was excited at first, hoping it would help with my mood swings (which were not as severe as experienced with those who have PMDD). Everything was fine (clear skin, light periods, etc) until I noticed that in the past few months I was getting severely emotional (which is the complete opposite from the kind of person I am). For a while I thought it was just a phase and something that would pass but it has gotten progressively worse, to a point where I have become overly sensitive, crying with out reason and was experiencing anxiety. All out of the ordinary and very scary. Since I am an active healthy individual with no other medical concerns or on any other meds I realized that I may have been suffering side effects from the YAZ. The mood swings were particularly worse on days leading to the placebo pills and into the first week. I have been off of it for the past three days and will talk to my Gyno on Monday to either go back to Yasmin or try something new. Of course it will take up to a month for the YAZ to be processed out of my body.

Honestly it was a scary experience and it was good to know that my sudden bouts of sadness and anxiety wasn't all in my head. While YAZ may not be for me I know people who have not experienced any side effects while on YAZ. So if you are considering it I would suggest giving it a try but keep track of any changes in mood or side effects.

I have also noticed that people who were actually suffering from PMDD have like their experience with YAZ and women without PMDD have seemed to experience it while on YAZ, of course this is simply an observation and nothing else.

I am a 25 year old female who at 24 had never had any experience with birth control other than a quick prescription to a generic hormone to take care of a long period at 16 (due to stress.) Only a few pills were taken and I was fine. Now, at 25 I have been on YAZ for a year. I began taking it because I became sexually active at 24. Why? Well, I was mature both mentally and physically. I have had friends who became sexually active at a young age and who started birth control young. The side effects were pretty dramatic. I had seen a slim friend gain a whole lot of water weight. She even said it was the patch and later monthly injection causing the problem but the side effect was well worth the pregnancy prevention. I was against the use of birth control due to my preconceived notion of horrible side effects. However, once the monogamous sexual activity began I knew that I needed to take something. I had heard about YAZ and knew that it was something new and different. A different hormone used for prevention. I researched the pill and looked into any side effects. The posts I found seemed a little too ridiculous. I decided to find actual accounts and spoke to a co-worker who had been using YAZ for awhile. In fact, the majority of females I know use the product with no problem. Thus, after my yearly checkup I requested YAZ. My gyno welcomed the suggestion and even gave me several packs for free. It’s been a year without a problem. However, this morning I was hounded by my mother because there is a warning and lawsuit against YAZ and YASMIN (seen by a commercial-lawsuit.) This is due to severe side effects and death associated with blood-clots (when presented with heart disease, diabetes, etc.) I am a healthy 25 year old that frequents the gym weekly. I do not smoke. I drink every now and then. NO SIDE EFFECTS. My period starts after the 3rd pill is taken. It is quick and simple. I enjoy being able to plan things around my period. Cramps are light compared to what I use to go through. I can take one Ibuprofen the day of the third non-active pill and not feel a thing. I use to have horrible leg cramps and now I have no problem. My pre-menstrual mood has improved and I think it is because my period is no longer a strong factor in my life. I use to dread it and now I welcome it. I do not have any skin issues, no bloating, and no weight gain. Heartburn occurrence which is slim to none is similar to what I would have had before YAZ. I was appalled to find this site and to discover that people are having problems. I do not understand why people are so quick to blame this pill on everything. It seems like a lot of users who are posting on this site are extremely young. The body is still growing and maturing at 18 and even into the early 20’s. In my late teens, I was extremely moody and stressed due to college, etc. Any hormonal regulation then would have probably put me overboard! I am going for my yearly check up next month and will discuss this lawsuit with my gyno. I am concerned about this lawsuit. More importantly, I am concerned that this pill will be taken off the market. Call me a statistic but I like YAZ and would recommend it.

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 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.

Hello,
I have been on Yaz for a little over a year. I have experience a few side a affects, which has me on the path to changing my birth control. Since I was 18 I was on Othro Novum, last year I decided to try Yaz to help me with my mood swings during my period. I have notice I have gained about 8 pounds this year. I have been working out for the last month and my weight has not moved. I went on that website for yas and weight gain. Thinking okay limit my calorie in take and workout. That has not work. Recently, I have been having BAD migraine headaches. I had a migraine headaches the entire week before my period and during the week of my period. I went to a neurologist earlier this week and he prescribed me migraine medicine and told me to get off the YAZ. Oh yea and decrease sex drive. Sex is thing from my mind. So, now the question is what do I go on now. I am 26 and I didn't have this many problems on my previous birth control. I thought about Yasmin but I hear you can have a decrease in sex drive with that too. So what do you go on then?????? lol

Now I am on week 2 of Yaz...
Still no weight gain & my mood swings have actually stopped. I think the only reason I had them was because I was on my period during the first week I took Yaz. I've never had acne, just a few pimples here & there & I have already noticed that the few I did have started to disappear a few days ago.
However, after having a lighter period for the normal 7 days, I continued to bleed lightly (spotting) for about 4-5 days after my period, which was extremely annoying. AND I noticed a decreased sex drive. My boyfriend and I used to have sex 2-3 times a day, & over the past week we have only had sex twice =[
I will keep you posted as more time goes on, right now I feel so-so about this pill- I don't love it, but don't hate it either. Definitely has its ups and downs.

I am so glad I decided to look at side effects of Yaz tonight. I have been on it for 4 months and have gone through hell the last 4 months. I attributed my depression and mood swings to losing my job, which I loved very much, and having to go back to waiting tables, which I don't love. But in the back of my head I knew that I would normally be able to weather this kind of thing with poise. Instead I've been crying myself to sleep almost every night, been short tempered with my daughter and husband, and had zero sex drive. When breakthrough bleeding happened again (I've had it every month), I called my doctor. She is switching my pill in 10 days, but after reading all this, I wish it were tomorrow. Anybody on this pill who has experienced any kind of life change (emotional, mental, physical) since taking it should request to be switched. As patients on a voluntary prescription like birth control, we have the right to switch whenever we choose. You don't have to wait 3 months!

I just started taking Yaz about a week ago. So far I have noticed both good and bad things about this pill.
The good side to Yaz is: It got rid of my cramps & made my period soo much lighter, I couldn't believe it. You know how your period is usually heavy the first few days, then gets lighter towards the end? Well the entire time it felt very light like how it normally would feel the LAST day of my period.

The down side to Yaz: My mother & boyfriend have both noticed that I am a bit more snappy/moody since I started taking it, and I am very tired and feel fatigued in the morning- I've been having a hard time getting out of bed! Also, sometimes before bed I feel a little nauseous.

As for now, I am going to continue taking Yaz, UNLESS my mood swings get worse or I experience any other side effects.
I am 19 years old by the way, if that helps.

I took yaz for maybe two weeks. after one week my breast blew up a cup size. they were so swollen! then i started noticing i was gaining weight but my diet hadn't changed. i started to swell all over within the next week. but what made me quit taking this pill was that i started getting these sharp intense pain in my upper abdominal region. it would come and gnaw at me for like 2-5 seconds then it would just go away. there was also like this temperature sensation anytime i would eat or drink anything. i've been off of it now for 5 days! i still have not got my period, my breast are still swollen, and my stomach pains are still there. i know im not pregnant, because i haven't had any sex! when is this going to get out of system or has it done something to me? i would imagine if you skip your period in one day and you can get pregnant in that one day... the pill should be out of your system! anyway- anyone else have this same situation?

I originally started YAZ about two years ago primarily to help with irregular or extended periods. I went off for about 8 months and had very light if any periods until about two months ago when my symptoms started back up. I went on YAZ for a month and my first week on the white or placebo pills the bleeding was extremely heavy. I'm sorry if this is graphic but I went to sleep for 5 hours with a tampon in and woke up soaked in blood. I freaked out and went to the ER and was told this is a normal side effect of this pill. Just prior to this I experienced:

terrible migraine headaches
brain fog
loss of focus
inability to think and communicate clearly
increased sensitivity to sound
terrible anxiety around people
mood swings- I didn't realize this until reading everyone else's posts

From my hospital visit I also learned my blood pressure was extremely high which could be a result of this pill.

I am so thankful to everyone on here that were so brave and kind to share their stories. I hope my post will be just as helpful.

thanks,

S

i have been on yaz for 8 days and for 8days i have had my period i had cramps so bad i couldn't get out the bed for 2 days constant headaches leg cramps tired but can't sleep dizzy sick stomach very moody i would not recommend this pill to anyone at all it would be a big mistake to take this pill

I have had great luck on Yaz. I had terrible PMDD symptoms before I started and now they are pretty much gone and I am back to normal again. I noticed no serious side effects over the last 3 months on Yaz. My breasts swelled up a bit and I noticed increased dreaming, but nothing problematic. What everyone should realize is that while no drug is good for everyone, that doesn't mean it's not good for anyone!! If you have bothersome side effects, you should talk to your doc and find alternative BC methods. NEVER QUIT TAKING A DRUG SUDDENLY. Doing so can cause horrible side effects to worsen. In my opinion, people shouldn't just blog to other, possibly younger and less knowledgeable people to "quit taking it now and deal with the effects of stopping". That is terrible advice. Communication between you and your doctor is the recipe for success for any new treatment plan.

Yaz has done wonders for me and my terrible mood swings. Just wanted to put this out there for anyone considering it, because you may have read some things down below written my ignorant people that could be a hazard to your health. If you don't like your doctor or can't reach them by phone, it may be time to find a second, third, fourth, etc. opinion. Trust your doctor, not the Internet.

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.

I'm 15 and take Yaz but I feel the opposite of most of all. I have an increased sexual drive even though I shouldn't and I'm not depressed at all. As for emotional... Well I feel very emotional with many mood swings... hmm.

I was on Loestrin 24Fe for 1 1/2 years. I had chronic urinary tract and yeast infections, gained a crazy amount of weight and had an increase in cup size. I was already large breasted so this was an unwelcome increase. My doctor switched me to Yaz. I suffered from awful mood swings and cried uncontrollably for an entire day right before my period started. I had cramps and excessive bleeding during my periods. After 6 months, I developed a blood clot and had a mini-stroke. I am 34 years old and not a smoker. Birth control pills are unnatural and dangerous.

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.

Ive been using YAZ for almost a year now and before reading all these side effects from other women I thought i was falling apart at the age of 24.

Since ive been on YAZ these symptoms have occurred:

Some weight gain, Eyesight from great to HORRIBLY nearsighted, discharge, periods sometimes are twice a month and is a brown gross color, migraines, terrible skin problems: like blisters on my face & neck that crust over and last for weeks, GI problems right before my period, Severe Fatigue, pussy blisters under my armpits, numbing in my fingers and toes, very itchy skin, random sex drives (for months there will be no sex drive then one month ill have a very high sex drive), very mild mood swings (but noticeable), and ive become allergic to deodorant & sulfa drugs.

Before using this BCP : i had great skin, perfect eyesight, athletic & energetic, normal periods, and was never allergic to anything.

Ive had so many doctors visits to try to figure out what was wrong.... i got allergy injections, antibiotics, surgery options...........but no doctor could really tell me what was causing it and its very frustrating to have so many things go wrong and no one can tell know why or how to fix it!. Anyways, im going to call my OB/GYN TOMORROW......

Wow! I can't believe what I'm reading. I started YAZ three years ago at the age of 21. My gyn prescribed it for me for mild acne and pretty bad cramps. I was super excited about having clear skin. This is my only positive experience I have with YAZ and almost to no periods. In the beginning, I was a healthy 21 year old female who was active, was in a stable relationship and loved life. All of that changed. I turned into a miserable person, someone I couldn't even stand. I would yell at anyone; it didn't matter if I didn't even know you. If you looked at me wrong I made a comment, so my doctor put me on Prozac for depression and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). One of the side effects of Prozac and Yaz is fatigue, headaches and decreased sex drive. I began experiencing horrible migraines to the point where I would throw up, have unbearable pain behind my right eye and photophobia. So, my doctor put my on Topamax as well. One of the side effects of this is tingling in the extremities. So now on a daily basis I have: nausea (I throw up every morning from YAZ), I sleep all the time ( I go to bed around 6 pm), zero sex drive (my fiancee thinks I'm not attracted to him anymore. I tell him that the hottest man in the world could walk in and I wouldn't care), mood swings, tingling in my arms and feet (like they're asleep). I was HEALTHY UNTIL I STARTED YAZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I was also rushed to the ER 2 summers ago to rule out a PE in my lungs (severe chest pain with a heart rate in the 130's). The doctors diagnosed me with low potassium (another side effect of Yaz).

I haven't really had severe side effects yet. I have only been on yaz for 3 months. But so far i have the fallowing side effects: Head aches i have been taking advil like its candy. Mood swings, pain while intercourse, abdominal pain, and decreased/zero sex drive. I am already a hypocondriac (sp) so i figured i am making it up. But who would make up not wanting to have sex. lol i will give it a few more months to level my hormones and maybe i will be ok.

OMG!! This is insane, I thought I was going crazy, I started YAZ about 2 weeks ago, I usually try to maintain healthy and workout a lot, but in 2 weeks i gained like 10 lbs out of nowhere!!! I am freaking out! I completely lost sex drive and as well as other said completely dry, nothing can make me wet, I also notice that I started getting a really heavy discharge everyday, Oh and depression (mood swings, snap at everything I feel like I don't want to live anymore, I don't care for my job as I used to or school...I feel helpless) I stopped YAZ 2 days ago and so far i haven't notice any change...I am still very moody and SSSOOOO tired, I can sleep all day and all night with no problem and when I do try to get up is like a magnet that's keeping me in bed, its awful!!! When does it get better???? Anybody knows??? I am falling apart!!! HELP PLEASE!!!

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 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 went off yaz about 3 weeks ago. I have noticed in the past week and a half that i have had diarrhea and some constipation constantly. has anyone else had that side effect? i have noticed that my crazy mood swings and crying for days at a time have finally stopped, which could not make me happier!

ml

I started YAZ just three days ago and have felt a dark, heavy cloud of emotion overtake every aspect of my day....especially my relationship! I could not be MORE sensitive about silly little things that would otherwise not bother me in the least. I'd be willing to stick this out if someone told me the emotional side effects wane over time, but I'm quite certain the relationship would suffer seriously or end altogether. Absolutely not worth the dramatic mood swings--I'm an incredibly happy person and losing that is losing everything. Not sure I'm willing to try any hormonal contraception at all again.

Today is my LAST Yaz pill ever.... I may not even take the one today. I have been on Yaz for 3 years now because of my PMDD and horrible ovulation pains. Since I have been on this pill I have experieinced.....

1. NO SEX DRIVE
2. I am as dry as a desert...... nothing makes me wet
3. Constipation
4. Weight Gain
5. Horrible mood swings
6. Constant feeling of aches and pains
7. Too many to list :(

Please do not take this drug..... It has changed my health and sex life.... I never think about sex.... It does help PMDD but the side effects do not make it worth anything!

I'm glad to have found this website. I recently had a complete physical and blood work and everything is fine. So that leads me to believe the only thing that is causing my "issues" is the damn YAZ. I feel so angry, tired, mood swings easily, tired, irritable, and fatigued...did I mention tired. That's the worst of all of it for me. I've been on it for 7 months. I'd have to say around the 3rd or 4th month is when I started noticing how tired I feel. I'll be changing back to my old BC, ortho-tricyclen in hopes of improvement.

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 has completely ruined my view of birth control. I was on it for 4 months…It was a living heck. I had the worst abdominal pain I’ve ever experienced. It hurt to ride in a car, the bumps on the road and the pressure from the seat belt were pure agony. While on it I had an abnormal pap. My period pain was ten times worse than it had been. Oh and lets not forget the mood swings. Sex was affected the worst, my libido plummeted. Sex was extremely painful. I was on loestrin24 for about a month and the pain did not subside completely until I stopped taking birth control. I’ve been off birth control for about 2 months now and sex is still painful. I hope that soon my body will go back to the way it was before I took yaz.

i was taking yaz for about 1-2 years. it was great - my moodiness subsided, lighter periods, no cramps, and it made my acne go away. i noticed that the longer i was on yaz, the more frequent my migraines became (4-5 per month). i didn't realize it at first because i have always gotten migraines (3 per month) since i was a child and i would always attribute the migraines to either stress or stormy weather. with the increase in migraines, i started trying various migraine medications, including zomig and maxalt combined with an alleve. however, i recently switched to nuvaring because my doctor said my blood pressure increased and i was placed on a low dosage of a beta blocker. nuvaring has a lower dosage of hormones and was recommended to me. i used nuvaring for 2 months and then stopped because i had problems with it slipping out. tired of trying differed birth control methods, i simply asked to go back on the yaz. this is when it dawned on me. the entire time i was using the nuvaring, i barely had any migraines (maybe 1 or 2 over 2 months compared to the usual 3-4 per month). i've been back on the yaz for 2 months now and i am having a migraine EVERY week and they last about 2-3 days long. i'm seeing my doc ASAP and getting of this pill immediately. i'm tired of the migraines interrupting my life. they completely immobilize me. i also noticed it completely got rid of any sex drive i have.

After reading some of the postings on this site made me feel a lot better. I have not even been on Yaz a month and I started to have horrible mood swings, really bad anxiety, headaches, and nausea. For the past few days I have not felt like myself at all and it sucks. My poor boyfriend has had to put up with me the last few days and he could defiantly notice the difference in my personality. I am no longer taking Yaz or any other birth control because I'm afraid I'll just have to go through the same emotional roller coaster again.

I experienced a lot of pain while I was on YAZ . I was taking it as a treatment for PCOS. I took it for 3 weeks. I was instructed be my GYN to take it on the first day of my period. The first week, I had no complaints. The second week, instead of it ending - my period became a lot heavier. I started experiencing constant headaches, and sever bloating. My wedding band is usually loose around my finger. One morning I woke up and my finger was red and I could not get it off my finger. The third week, I started experiencing a lot of pain. The pain first started in my lower back, it felt a lot like back cramps. Then it started to intensify. By this time I also had cramps in my abdomen and groin area, and my ovaries felt like they were going to burst. The pain I was in , was equivalent to being in labor. I was rushed to the ER where they gave me morphine. I was in so much pain that the first two batches of morphine did not work. On top of all that, I was so sick. I was not able to hold anything down the whole last two weeks prior to there ER visit. I had no idea that YAZ was causing the pain, until the ER Dr. explained that I was not reacting well with the Yaz , and that I should stop taking it immediately. Oh and let me mention - I experienced sever mood swings, sometimes accompanied with rage like feelings. I went back to my GYN and she put me on Femcon Fe. I will never recommend the birth control YAZ to anybody. It is a horrible birth control pill in my opinion. It did not help me in any way it just made it worse. I give YAZ a big fat zero.

I am having trouble coming off of YAZ. I am 30 and have been taking YAZ for a year and a half. I've had little to no side effects at all while taking it. I felt great... the best I felt in my life. Little to no moodiness during PMS, very light periods. It was great! I have been off YAZ for a month and a half and I feel like a monster! I have mood swings, anger, and I'm very irritable. It seems that I am experiencing some of the same side effects coming off of YAZ that others are experiencing while on it. .... I am just wondering if anyone else has or had my experience. I'm tempted to go back on it just because I feel terrible being off of it. I would like to try getting pregnant within the year... so I thought getting off of the pill from now would be a good adjustment. Any thoughts? Should I get back on it or "tough" it out? - Laur

I have been on Yaz for over 2 years now and have never experienced one negative side effect. My periods last about 3 days and the mood swings (all PMS symptoms) are gone! Of course there is still cramping, but only for one day, and a simple ibuprofun (?) will take care of that.
Its at least worth a shot, it might turn out to be a great thing in your life!

Yaz puts me into bouts of severe depression and anger, and even paranoia. It's so bad that I don't even realize it's happening until the bout is over. It causes problems in relationships. I suggest that if you don't react well to hormonal birth controls, don't use Yaz. For me, it worsened any kind of mood swings I might naturally have, and at all times of the month.

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.

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!!!!

Hi ladies! I started Yaz in June 08 after taking Ortho-Tricylcen-Lo for 6 years (It wasn't treating my cramps or mood swings anymore). The first month was bad. I had mood swings, breast tenderness, lower back pain, anxiety, weight loss, and no sex drive. I didn't attribute this to the pill, I associated it with a very, very emotional and difficult experience that was currently occurring in my life. By the second month, I put 2 and 2 together, and realized it was Yaz. I am a pharmacist, so I am well aware of the types, mechanisms, and incidence of these side effects. I knew that these side effects usually disappear with time after the body adjusts to a new/different form of progestin. By the third month, all of the side effects had subsided, except for the inability to gert aroused, which is very unusual for me! It wasn't so much the lack of interest, but the lack of physical arousal ("getting wet"). I almost got off the pill just because of that, but I decided to tough it out just to see what happens. By the fourth month everything is back to normal and I feel great. I lost a little weight, my breasts don't get swollen and tender during the third week (like a tricyclic pill), a don't have unusual mood swings, and my period is average in length and heaviness. It was a bumpy road, but that is to be expected when you mess with the body's natural balance. It takes time to recalibrate hormones, during which time you will not feel yourself! Weird stuff will happen! I think Yaz is a good drug and patients should stick with it for at least 5 months ( or at the digression of your physician of course), unless you experience a side effect that alerts you to a serious problem (severe leg cramps, difficulty breathing, or suicidal ideation). As for the fact of it being "new and unstudied", that's not completely true. Yasmin is a higher dose of the same drugs as Yaz and it has been around practically forever. This is an excellent forum, but don't be scared off or expect a cure-all from a low dose hormone. Good luck!

Hello All -

I just wanted to update everyone on how I am feeling after getting OFF Yaz. I feel like my old self again! Thank you God! The mood swings are gone, the sadness is gone, the upset stomach, back pain, calf cramps... just all the physical and mental pain is gone and I finally feel good again.

After my 16 year old told me she is sexually active with her boyfriend, I took her immediately for an exam and birth control. The OB/GYN wanted to give her Yaz and I said HELL NO, and then told her about all my troubles. She was shocked and said No one she has given it to has had any issues. Which to that I said, that’s odd since there is a website where there are numerous posts to the contrary.

For anyone considering this drug, PLEASE read all the posts on this site and think long and hard if you really want to take the chance on having any of these terrible 'side effects' happening to you or someone you love.

I've heard nothing but good things about Yaz. The commercials make it look like a DREAM drug......one I truly needed. I'm 34 and getting married for the second time. My PMDD has become horrible. I started YAZ 7 days ago because I didn't want to be on my period for my honeymoon but mostly because I wanted to be a normal woman. I have 1 good week out of the month. I'm so tired of the mood swings and everything that is associated with PMS/PMDD. Well after day one I was horribly nauseated just like I was when I was pregnant. That has been daily. My stomach felt very"anxious" like I was nervous all the time and that is NOT me at all. It never dawned on me it could be the YAZ I thought it was nerves because of the upcoming wedding. I felt depression that I hadn't felt in a while since getting engaged. And it was almost a "hopelessness". Last night when I was driving home from work, day 6, I started coughing for no reason. I haven't been sick at all. It was like I couldn't quit. My left chest area was on fire and radiated to my back. I finally started thinking what in the world could this be so I got online and researched side effects of Yaz and boy am I glad I did. It blows my mind at the poor women who have either suffered threw a blood clot, or have died from it and ALL the other side effects I see on here that are just like mine. I'm so glad that I found this because today the Yaz went in the garbage. I refuse to take it anymore. I was worried all night I had a blood clot in my lung that I could barely sleep. I don't think anyone is aware of these problems associated with this medication. I hope they recall it soon!

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.