Yaz and sleep

I was on Yaz for about 2 years or so. I decided to take a break from it and then decided to look up the side effects. I found this site and another one like it. I can't believe I didn't know all the problems I was having could be from this pill.
After reading about all the side effects I decided to get off it completely.
At first when I was on it, I was great. My major adult acne FINALLY went away. No other B.C. pill worked for that. My moods right before my period were so much better.
I had been depressed a lot and this pill seemed to help a great deal.

Then about a year into the pill, I developed major food allergies. I figured out I can't eat anything with soy (or only very small amounts). I had always been lactose intolerant, but now I can hardly eat any milk products at all. Dairy and soy products completely dry me all up. I can't breathe anymore. My eyes are always dry now, especially when I wake up in the morning. I sleep with a humidifier and the Breathe Right nose strip every night now. My chest is a lot tighter and my upper back hurts a lot now. Not sure if that is related to Yaz or not.
I also have asthma, which was well controlled for years, but now it seems this pill has made me a lot worse.
I also had heart palpitations, dizziness, and severe fatigue. The fatigue seemed to come on in the last year. I could still go to work, but got so tired easily. When I got home I just wanted to do nothing. If I slept all night, it still felt like I didn't sleep at all when I woke up in the morning.
My sex drive in the last year was piratically nothing as well. That among other things ended my long term relationship.
I thought all these things were due to getting older. I'm only in my late 30's.
I also had severe headaches all the time. I thought my head was going to explode.

I've only been off the pill for just over a month, so I hope things improve.
I feel my energy is slowly coming back and the headaches are getting less frequent.
Thanks for all of you on this site and others I have read.
I think it has saved my life.

I was put on Yaz because of my severe PMS. After nine days I started getting very strong symptoms, many the very symptoms I started taking Yaz for in the first place. It was too early in the cycle to be the "regular" PMS. Many of the symptoms I listed below I get regularly but not as strongly, and they have not been remotely this bad for years. I stopped taking Yaz after freaking out for 48 hours. I was told to stay on them for at least 3 months, as a trial, and I was really motivated because I really suffer from my PMS - almost every month I feel like I get into a depression - but there is no chance in the world I will continue taking that pill.
Tiredness
Sudden feelings of worthlessness
Sudden feelings of intense anger
Sudden feelings of anxiety
Sudden feelings of deep sadness
Tension head aches
Crying uncontrollably and for no obvious reason
Tension in jaws/clenching of teeth
Tension in shoulder/neck area
Feeling unable to cope with work
Feeling unable to communicate with anyone
Shortness of breath
Not able to sleep (though tired)
Very strong heart beat
Numbness in skin
Much lower energy
Eating extreme amounts of chocolate/cookies

I started taking Yaz since January. I did have to stop taking it, however, when my mother's health insurance dropped me on my 22nd b-day. The first three months I experienced were somewhat positive. I think a lot of it had to do with the expectations I had for this pill to be wonderful and altogether amazing. When I finally got health insurance again in April, I couldn't wait to start taking it again. This time, the experience was much different. My skin, which had started getting worse while I was off the pill, stayed relatively the same. I still get the kind of pimples I used to get when I was wasn't taking it. I started noticing a few months ago that my hair was falling out...!!! I couldn't believe it. It's localized in the frontal region of my hair line. It makes me very self-conscious and worried. In addition to these exterior symptoms, I have noticed I have uncontrollable anxiety. Most of the time, it's hard for me to stop panicking about every minuscule detail of my life. When I'm not excessively anxious, I'm depressed. I don't want to do anything but sleep. I often feel hopeless and worthless. Probably the most disturbing thing that has happened to me during this whole ordeal is two days ago, out of no where, this strange feeling came over me and all I wanted to do was kill myself. I have NEVER had a suicidal thought in my life. It made me sick to my stomach and panicked. I've always been slightly anxious, but I feel like this is exacerbating things to an extreme degree. I'm so glad to read that I'm not the only one.

I've also experienced some of the other symptoms mentioned by other women (inexplicable hunger, etc.) I've also been experiencing chest pain when I run to the point I need to stop running for a moment.

I'm done with Yaz.

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 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 I found this website!!! Today will be my last day of YAZ.I have been taken this BC for 6 months.I feel sick to my stomach at night before bed can not sleep thru the night, feel sad all the time will snap at my family for no reason. Thank god they love me and have put up with me for so long, I don't know if I could have!!!!! Not to mention weight gain!!!!! I also find it harder to lose weight once you gain it??
Good luck, I will have to try something else this is not for me.

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

I'm 37 and have been taking Yaz for 3 weeks now and all I want to do is sleep and eat. This is the first time I have changed my birth control in 5 years. My doctor put me on Yaz because my PMS is so bad and my boyfriend is over the monthly break up. I feel just like you do....I always worked out at lest 5 days a week and I haven't gained weight since high school. Now I have been eating cookies every night and I'm not working out at all. I was telling my boyfriend that I just don't feel right. I don't even want to finish the pack of Yaz pills I have.... but I'm scared if I start taking my old pills for the rest of the month it's going to mess me up. I'm so happy that I'm not the only girl that feels this way. My boyfriend wants me to give it a chance because my PMS is sooooo bad. All I know is that Weight gain is one of the side effect and I'm not going to put weight on for any reason. If he think I'm a bitch for one week out of the month he doesn't want to see me gaining weight and miserable...TOTAL BITCH !!!
Thanks for your feed back it helped.
J.

im 14,and my acne is just depressing.my parents even point it out and it just quite awful.i did a lot of creams and they just made me break out more and after a couple weeks i would stop taking them. i have even been called a pizza face before and i don't want be judged just because i have crap on my face. i would talk to mom about just popping a pill to get this off my face. but she knew that if i was on birth control that i might be thinking about actually having sex. but trust me i don't. so i went o the doctor and my parents finally gave in and let me take yaz. i am just about 5 days away from the white pills and i pick at my pimple and pop them just something i cant control. my dad has noticed a change.but im not sure i have. and i have read post and about having no sex drive but i don't if it is just my hormones or what but i have a sex drive and i am only 14. i am always tired during the day but wide awake at night so my sleep schedule is just messed up. i have a urge for chocolate and nothing else. i only 103 and my weight hasn't changed. my nipples are sooo sore. i might not be to far a long to know if this is a good pill for acne or not. but i am going to keep using it bc i have faith in it. i haven't had one headache but i do see stars when i get up. not sure what it is. thanks for reading;] wish me luck!

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

I 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.

morning sickness, heavy tiredness with heavy sleep, periods with brown discharge and dark pink brown urine, stomach heaviness why

My experience with yaz was terrible. i have been anxious and tired unable to sleep, moody, loss of appetite, loss of interest in anything, i feel depressed. i don't get excited or happy or sad or angry i don't really feel any emotions. i did stop taking yaz but it is still in my system and therefore still effecting me, my boyfriends brothers girlfriend also took yaz and in her very own words "this is the devil pill". i must agree. i would not recommend yaz to anyone. i am 18 years old.

I'm 21 and I've taken Yaz for 7weeks. During the first 2weeks I took it at lunch time - within hours I'd feel nauseous. I changed when I took it to before I went to sleep - this seemed to work with the nausea which eventually completely subsided.

I had spotting for the first packet but after my first period on YAZ the spotting stopped.

By the time I started the second packet I became aware that my sex drive had plummeted and I no longer was initiating sex with my boyfriend. I also noticed that I was thirsty a lot more & craved sugary drinks like soda/pop which I never shopped for until YAZ.

I've also gained 6pounds.

The strangest side effect I experienced was a heightened sense of smell, for example - I cannot tolerate the smell of steak cooking - it makes me ill.

On the positive side- My skin has improved.

When my period is approaching I am no longer angry or overly emotional.

Prior to taking YAZ I would have severe menstrual cramping the day before the period began and three days following (at least). I had to take pain killers like panadine fort but for the first time I needed no medication and I only had cramping for day one. A huge improvement!

The biggest plus for me with YAZ was the decrease in the length of my period - it went from 7-9Day to 4days max.

If I gain more weight & it if it gets to the point where I reject my boyfriend when he wants to be intimate then I'll stop YAZ but at the moment the positives I’ve experienced are just too valuable to consider stopping.

i've been on yaz for almost 6 months now, and i absolutely love it.
i was diagnosed with severe PMDD, and would get horribly depressed to the point of thinking of suicide for a week/week and a half before each period. i had cramps so bad i could hardly move, couldn't sleep, would have no sex drive, and could barely get myself out of bed. then, right after my period was gone, i'd be back to normal again. it took quite awhile for me to realize what was going on after i had seen some commercials for yaz talking about PMDD and how much it can affect your every day life. since taking yaz, i have had NO depression bouts and absolutely no cramps. my sex drive has actually increased, and my skin has cleared up completely.
after reading most of these reviews, i'm thinking that if you do not have a form of PMDD yaz will have the opposite effect on you that it is supposed to have as is the case for some depression medications. they clearly state on the commercials that it is for the use of treating PMDD and moderate acne, and do not encourage you to take yaz if you do not have those current symptoms.
not trying to start anything, just don't want people to have a horrible view on this pill as it has changed my life in so many ways for the better. :)

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 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 am 31 years old and was placed on Yaz to control unexplained and abnormal bleeding (I read the "Packet" my doctor should not have prescribed Yaz for this reason.) I am guessing the Yaz rep was the most recent visitor to his office. Anyways, I began to feel "off" after being on the pill for about 5 days. It was Easter and I could not feel the joy of the family gathering. I just wanted to sleep and not interact with anybody. By day 8 I was feeling EXTREMELY depressed. It was so depressed, I feel for my own safety I had to go to the hospital, I feel so depressed and emotional sad that I was fighting not to kill myself. I went to the ER and given Ativan to calm me. I stopped the YAZ that day (The ER doctor believed it was the Yaz). It took 7 days for Yaz to get out of my system...during that time I was taking Ativan and under constant supervision by my husband. I could not go to work (I am a teacher) and the School psychiatrist called me daily. I am currently on an Anti-depressant (prescribed by my physician, who is not sure if it was the Yaz that caused this.) I know myself and I was NOT myself on this pill.

I was prescribed Yaz for my PMDD. I have been on it 10 days now and have bled for the full 10 days.
I have had no energy, feel paranoid, and have very strong urges to commit suicide.
I am shaking, sweating, can't sleep and terrible nightmares.
I am crying for no reason.
I am so glad I found this site. I really thought I was losing my mind.
I'm going to the doctor in a little bit for a full explanation as to why I was not informed of these side effects?
He made it out to be the cure to so many years of PMDD.
I was excited to have finally found Yaz now I wish I had never started it.

I started yaz 4 months ago. Everything was going great until this past month. I had no side affects, before this. I actually lost weight on Yaz. But this month, i seriously went out of my mind. I was anxious, depressed, and moody. I was so depressed last week that I was thinking of suicide. I cried myself to sleep every night for no reason.

I was at the end of my rope and then I found this site. Thank god I did. I stopped Yaz in the middle of my pack last wed. My doctor agreed it was the best course and I'm not kidding....less than 48 hours later I felt better. I'm happy....have had no signs of depression and feel so much better.

I also started having really bad stomach issues around the 4th month on this drug. I thought it was a virus. But it lasted almost the entire month. I even took a pregnancy test because I was panicking. Low and behold....48 hours off the drug and my stomach was almost fully back to normal. So, I have to say it HAD to be Yaz. There is no other possible explanation. I'm so frustrated because this is the 4th birth control brand I've tried and I've had horror stories on each one. I just feel like there is nothing out there for me....and that's seriously depressing.

This site helped me so much. Thank you for sharing your stories because I wasn't even thinking it could be the YAZ medication until I came here.

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

I have been on YAZ for over 2 years now. The previous bc that I have used in the past were Ortho tri cyclin which was awful, I was close to severe, obvious depression and Yasmin in which I was fine with. For the first couple of months on YAZ I was extremely emotional. However, I felt as though my hormones regulated and was fine with the drug I'd say until the past year. This entire time I have been wondering why I have been...
1.) Hot flashes in my sleep (I'm 26).
2.) Always tired. ALWAYS.
3.) Lost my sex drive.
4.) Experiencing horrible headaches.
5.) Most upsetting to me, lack of interest in life,nothing makes me happy or excited.
6.) Knee and neck joint pain.
Normally I am easily excited and love life with no lack of energy.
I am happy to see that I am not the only one experiencing all of these symptoms. I have been wondering if this is linked to my bc and if I would be better off stopping.
My doctor on the other hand has told me, the past two times I've questioned her, I don't think you should stop your bc just keep on and see if it changes. Thanks for nothing doc.
Thanks to all of you I know I'm not falling apart.

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

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

I am going off Yaz today.

Let me just say THANK GOD for this website...i began taking yaz last may because i saw so many commercials for it and thought it would be great... all summer long i LOVED it and raved about it to anyone who would listen, probably because of the rapid breast growth it caused ( i went from a small b to a double d in a period of six months), but ive been feeling extremely melancholy and moody as of late, and i have ZERO patience; ill snap at the smallest thing. but what inspired me to finally get off of yaz is the weight gain; i used to have a wonderfully toned body, very nice abs and muscular slender legs; since taking yaz, i have gained 17 POUNDS and working out incessantly and watching my diet is doing absolutely NOTHING to help this weight gain...it didn't cause acne, but ive never had acne so im not sure if that side effect really applies to me...but im constantly tired, bitchy, and craving junk food, even when im not hungry. all i want to do is nap all day long and im just extremely depressed all the time. im throwing my pack out as we speak and i suggest anyone who is having similar side effects do the same because they always get worse.

I am SO glad I found this website. I have been taking YAZ (or should I say SPAZ??) for 3 months. I am 27 and I had been off any kind of birth control for the last 3 years. My OBGYN convinced me to get on YAZ thinking it would control the ovarian cysts I often get and control the acne. These last few months I have felt like complete crap. I am not myself and there are more times than not that I want to rip someone's head off. Every little thing is making me irate to the point of insanity and my poor boyfriend who just proposed to me is probably having second thoughts, now that he is having to deal with jekyl and hyde (sp?) And if it's not the uncontrollable severe mood swings it's the complete opposite where I'm crying my eyes out for no reason at all!! Seriously, commercials, a sappy song, anything really just sends me into a boo hoo fest. And the tiredness is unbelievable. It's exactly how everyone else is describing it. No energy and could sleep literally all day. I started thinking that maybe this YAZ could be the cause of my sudden craziness and after reading all of these postings that sound exactly like mine I am convinced that I'm really not a bitch and it's the meds making me kookoo!! Thanks guys for your postings! Hopefully my fiance hasn't gone running for the hills and I'll still be getting married this March! :)

somebody help! the first year on yaz was great but then started the HORRIBLE panic attacks. they never ended. i was in bed for 3 months straight literally only went to the bathroom and lost like 25 pounds. im 5 10 and weigh 107. i had severe depression, my hair was falling out, diagnosed with panic disorder, and POTS. my blood pressure would drop to 50/20 every time i stood up. all this NEVER happened before. my eyes are so dry i cant wear contacts. i have derealization/depersonalization. it soo scary. im only 20 and feel like a 60 year old. i am always tired. i can sleep at any given time. i have trouble staying awake on the road. i have been on 4 anti depressants and klonopin. i never had anxiety in my life before. i think i am going crazy everyday. i don't know what to do anymore. i finally stopped taking yaz 3 weeks ago and slightly better but still not even close to what i was a couple years ago. how could they put this pill on the market? this is absolutely horrible.

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

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

I have been on Yaz for three months, first two were okay, not I totally feel prego, morning sickness, sore breasts, moodiness, weight gain, odd bowels. I tried to talk to my OB Tuesday and she got a page in the middle of my appt. Babies don't wait. She said to keep taking it she'd see me in month. AHHHH I can't do this, I totally broke down to my hubby last night and he said to stop it now. I have two beautiful girls, am 26, and am crazy!
Yaz has made me feel like my gestational diabetes is back, my head hurts often, I am cramping, lower back pain, irritably, want to sleep all the time, am short tempered with my kids....this is nuts!!!! Trying to get ahold of my doctor again, might just go back to my childhood family doctor. Good luck, I was on depo before my second child and had a horrible reaction to it too, even miscarried after I had been off of it for a year and still hadn't had a period. Birthcontrol stinks, I feel like I am poisoning my body, and why, so I don't have another baby. So I am experiancing, nausea, headache, stomach cramps, depression, crazy feelings, irritability, fatigue, sore breasts, decreased sex drive, morning sickness.
Good luck with your decisions.

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!!

as anyone who has gone off yaz started bleeding like it was their period? I took my daughter of this because of all the bad side effects, moody, depressed, dizzy, listless, liked to sleep, loss of appetite, and spacing out, and would get angry at anything, she is a senior u cant be spaced out in school. this morning she had blood when she wiped, like it was her period. if anyone had this let me know please

Ive been taking yaz for almost a year. I stopped taking the pill two days ago. I am currently on a heart monitor due to anxiety/panic attacks. I felt anxiety feelings soon after taking Yaz but it was not bad enough to stop. Now it is BAD! I am (was) very healthy (mentally and physically) and happy, and have never experienced anxiety until yaz. I also have a painful lump in my lower back. I have had a MRI which showed mild disc bulge. I felt the lump in April 2008, it is now 11/2008 and it is still there. I wake up stiff and in pain. Doc thinks its a muscle issue. I"m starting to think it is the Yaz. I also have had no sex drive, very dry and painful sex. Yeast infections and bacteria infection which I have never had. I cannot sleep. I am struggeling every day to be normal. I feel totaly out of control. I do not recommend Yaz. I cannot wait to be me again!

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!!!!

I know birth control pills affect everyone differently, this is what happened to me. I started taking Yaz in January after being on Yasmin for 6 years (I had severe abdominal pain on Ortho Tricyclin and Yasmin gave me immediate relief. I had PMDD the last 6 months I took Yasmin and asked to switch to Yaz after seeing commercials on it, other than that I had no problems being on Yasmin for 5 1/2 years). The second month of Yaz, my PMDD went away, I felt normal and loved being on Yaz. I haven't had any weight gain, have mild cramping about a week before my period starts and my period is about 4-5 days and I hardly get bloated but I get a severe headache the day my period starts. The last 3-4 months, I've noticed I've had no energy but still try to exercise, I feel so tired no matter how much sleep I get, at times I don't feel very alert and have to focus hard when driving, have bouts with feeling depressed, and occasional constipation. I didn't have any vaginal dryness but often felt like I didn't have the energy to have sex. I had a blood screening last month which came back normal, this month I noticed my hair seems thinner. I suspected Yaz was the problem then I knew for sure after I found this website. My OB/GYN called in a new prescription for Yasmin today, I'm hoping that will help again - at least until I see him in a couple months, and that the PMDD symptoms do not return.

I'm also glad I found this site. I have been on Yaz for nine months for PMDD. I totally thought I was losing my mind. I can't seem to keep focused on one thought at a time, I have had diarrhea since probably about three months into it. Gained weight, sleep problems, anxiety but worst of all my HAIR IS FALLING OUT in clumps. I have super thick hair and now it is so thin that you can see through it and it is getting worse with time. My hairdresser said I have lost 40 percent of my hair. I finally put two and two together and figured out it is the Yaz. I am on no other medications and am going to the doctor tomorrow. I was so scared about my hair. I just hope it grows back soon. I would rather be crazy than bald. I have been on other BC before without any problems. This stuff is too much to handle. Thank you for opening my eyes

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!

Talk about an enlightening site. I am so thankful to have found this site and everyone's posts. I was on Yasmin then switched to Yaz the moment it was released. I switched because of low libido, fatigue and other symptoms possible associated with the Yasmin. So, I think it's been 3 years now and I guess things have come to a head because my sex drive is non-existent and I have now missed 2 periods (3 pregnancy tests - all negative), all I want to do is sleep, dizziness, and lower abdominal cramping to the point where my internists tested me for Celiac disease and other digestive problems. Tests turned up negative. So, after calling my gyno, and explaining my symptoms to the nurse, another missed period, and neg preg test, she suggested I take some time off of BC. She also said that one of the side affects of BC are low libido. Well, I think I'm going to take my chances, because I feel so dried up inside, not feeling sexual is causing major problems with my boyfriend. I have an ultrasound scheduled this week to rule out cysts or blockages possible causing the lower abdominal cramping. But my big question... HOW LONG BEFORE MY LIBIDO RETURNS? Can anyone give me some assuring words that I'll want sex again?

WELL i AM AT THE 4TH WEEK 0F TAKiNG YAZ AND iT WAS G00D AT FiRST. EVERYTHiNG iT SEEMED T0 BE FR0M THE WEBSiTE AND C0MMERCiALS. BUT AR0UND THE 3RD WEEK i N0TiCED THAT i HAD G0TTEN A LiTTLE BL0ATED AR0UND MY MiD SECTi0N AND THAT i WAS QUiTE M00DY. AND THiS iS 0NLY THE SEC0ND TiME THAT i HAVE EXPERiENCED iNS0MNiA BUT i HAVE SCH00L C0MiNG UP AND i CANT AFF0RD BEiNG SLEEPY iN CLASS FR0M LACK 0F SLEEP. i HAVE N0 0THER C0MPLAiNTS THAN THAT BUT i THiNK THAT i AM G0iNG T0 ST0P TAKiNG THE PiLL

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!!

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

It is 5 days since coming off of Yaz, after my "stroke" symptoms, ending up in the ER, and blood being clotted up, like sludge.
I finally am feeling better today. I woke up early this morning, feeling so good, that I realized how slow and bad I had felt when I was on that stuff. I was getting 8-9 hours of sleep each night, and still sluggish. Going to bed early, and having trouble getting up. When I think about how my blood was, while I was on Yaz, it make sense that i was so sluggish. And that now that I have been off of it, and taking an aspirin every day (to thin out my blood), I finally feel like my blood is running through my veins.
Please be sure to check with your doctor that this is not clotting your blood! I had no idea what to look for. I was only on it for 5 and a half weeks, and nearly had a stroke, with how clotted my blood was!

My daughter started taking Yaz 10 days ago, just a couple days after starting this pill, she has experienced a headache every day. She is sad and blue and crying, which she never does, she also complained of bad nausea and lower back pain. She also has not been able to sleep. My daughter is 27 years old. I told her to go off that pill today and she did, then at work she found this site and told me about it.

This is awful and very scary. They need to take this off the market. Please feel free to contact us at this e-mail if you would like.

Women Beware!~

I threw the crap out after 9 days. Forget it. I went on for acne (too soon to know if it helped) but the side effects were worse than the acne. I was hungry all the time.- Not just hungry, but like I was starving! Couldn't sleep, yet tired all day long. Already big boobs got even bigger and constant headache. I've had a headache for 9 days straight. I took my last pill yesterday morning. Now I hope this leaves my system ASAP without permanently screwing me up! How frustrating. I will never artificially alter my hormones again.

Thank goodness for the internet. I didn't notice any mood changes my first month on Yaz, but around my second month I started work on my MBA. I thought my short temper, bouts of rage, impatience, and general freaking out had to do with stress and sleep deprivation! However, now my hard class is over, I'm getting enough sleep, and I am STILL feeling like a complete psycho. Yesterday I started screaming after I took a wrong turn in traffic, and my incidence of saying "I want to shoot myself" and swearing have gone up 200% since taking this drug. I have never been a violent or aggressive person, but looking back I have been snappy, rude, and generally a bitch! It FINALLY occurred to me that it could be the pill causing the mood swings. . . and all the comments I am seeing on the internet are just confirming my suspicion. I finished my pack a couple days ago and will NOT be renewing my prescription. I'm getting in to my doctor ASAP.

I am so glad that this site is here. I too was given Yaz not as birth control but as an alternative to mood swings, No periods for months, and heavy bad periods.. I am 31 and the mother of 4. I had my tubes tied at 24 after my last child. I had taken other types of birth control at younger ages and had no problems. Well this was the start of my 4th month. I too didn't get my period till the week after the white pills. It was shorter and lighter at first, but since its terrible. I bleed longer and harder than before I started taking Yaz. I too cry for no reason and get very mad very easily. My sex drive too went from anytime any where to none. My husband has begged me for weeks to stop taking this pill. With the heavy bleeding he was concerned for my health. I stopped taking the Yaz pill one week ago today, and I am still having very heavy bleeding. This is the second week of it. I just want it all to stop. I too was feeling very tired and would catch myself falling asleep in the middle of the day. But at night when I would go to bed I would lie there awake. I was lucky if I could sleep for 5 hours at a time. My only concern now is when will this bleeding stop, and when is it something that I should contact a doctor about. I will never go on this pill again and I will tell anyone who wants to not to. I don't like going for three and four months with out my period, but I am not sure after this experience if I will try another for of the pill or not.

I am so glad I found this page! I am 16 and have been taking Yaz for a month and a half.. the first month I felt great. I was loosing weight and getting shorter, lighter periods. About a week or two ago I started feeling pressure throughout all of my head and I just didn't feel like myself, so I suspected a head cold or an ear infection. At the same time I was also experiencing SEVERE panic attacks to the point where I thought I was having a heart attack and might be dying. These would sometimes last until 4:00AM and cause me to loose a whole night's sleep. Finally I had my mom make me an appointment with my primary physician. I had an EKG done, which came back normal, and my doctor put me on the handihaler. The panic attacks, anxiety, and paranoia had all continued. Almost a week has gone by since and I had another severe panic attack just last night... needless to say, after finding this website my mom has already called my OB/GYN and scheduled an appointment to change my BC pill. I took my last Yaz pill day before last and don't plan on ever taking anymore. I never thought that something as simple as a birth control pill could do this to a person.