Yasmin and anxiety

I am so glad that I found this site. I was beginning to feel like I was losing my mind. I have been on Yasmin for only 2 months but have been experiencing many of the side effects mentioned- fatigue, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, anxiety, dizziness, and flu-like symptoms. I had these same symptoms when I was on Yaz last year. I wound up going to the hospital for shortness of breath and chest pain. The doctor thought it may be blood clots, but after testing he diagnosed me with bronchitis and asthma (I am 26- never had either in my life). There is definitely something wrong with these pills. I do have anxiety and currently take Xanax. But I have not had panic attacks like this since I was on the pill last year. Sometimes I need to think about breathing to catch my breath and lately it had been hard for me to sleep because my heart is racing. My periods have been lighter and my migraines less severe, but it is not worth it to continue on Yasmin.

I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year now. At first I really liked it. I had a horrible time with tricyclen and the effects on my depression and emotional instability ended up ruining a really great relationship. Shortly after that relationship ended, I stopped taking tricyclen and started seeing a counselor. Everything was great and I felt like myself again. I had lots of self-confidence and self-love. When I went back on the pill because I started taking Yasmin. My face cleared up wonderfully and my boobs (which are already an A cup) got even bigger. Both of those things were great benefits to Yasmin. Now, a year later, I'm finding that I'm starting to feel the same way I did when I was on tricyclen. Bouts of depression, anger, suicidal ideations, anxiety, and feeling unmotivated and apathetic. My current boyfriend and I are long-distance now, which might be having even more adverse effects on my emotional state. I am considering going off of it. I've felt this way and it's simply not worth feeling miserable and self-loathing all the time. Other side effects I've felt while on Yasmin are: dry skin, especially around my vagina. I always require lubrication now before sex, which was never a problem before. Also, supposedly being on hormone pills can change the actual morphology of the cells on your cervix. This change makes me bleed after having sex. Not much, but enough that I notice. My physician said this was not a concern though. Altogether, I just don't think my body and my emotions can really handle being on birth control, and I feel as though a lot of people out there are experiencing the same problems!! If you're like me, please let me know of a pill that is working for you!

Hello Ladies,

I first posted my story in 2005, but check in now and then to remind other poor sufferers.

The first year or so on Yasmin was free of any noticeable side effects then out of no where my whole life changed, I had vertigo, became severely depressed, very anxious, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts...NONE of these symptoms had I ever experienced before in my life...I was always the 'glass half full' girl.

No one knew what was wrong with me, and my family were desperate. One day I found this website and it saved my life. I realized that it was Yasmin that was destroying me. I immediately stopped it (although now am told that finishing the pack would have been optimal)...my depression and panic attacks stopped within days. It was like a dark cloud lifted. Let me be honest though, it was a long road to feel 100%...the first few months my anxiety seemed to get worse before it got better, according to my cycle. The light at the end of the tunnel is that YOU DO GET BETTER. I have been there when you wonder if the 'old you' will ever return....you do.

I recommend you eat a healthy diet, eliminate caffeine and white sugar, and get all your hormone levels checked...including your thyroid and adrenals. This pill is poison and depletes your body of all the necessary vitamins and nutrients, and completely destabilizes your hormonal balances.

Each month you will be closer to complete healing. I stress that everyone is different and you may not take as long as me to recover, but take heart if it is taking longer than you expected.

This is a temporary state of mind. It is not the real you.

Take care xx

I have been taking Yasmin for two months and have severe chest pain, a pain under my breast, diarrhea, and feel lazy.

Hi
Again just like many of you ladies out there i am so glad i came across this website. I have been taking Yasmin for the last 2.5yrs. I used to have very think long hair, and was always complimented on it. recently my hair has thinned out, and falls out everytime i comb or wash it. I have reecntly started to experience numbness in the tips of my toes, i have just in the past few days experienced knee joint pains. Last year i had very bad chest pains, and i never thought it would be the pill, but i have been complianing to my family about breathing difficulties too. I do feel nauseous most of the time, and i feel tired all the time, i fall asleep anywhere. I am a pretty healthy individual. I have suffered headaches, reduction of vision, pain just under my ribs near the lungs, especially when i wake up in the mornings, i suffer hot flushes, again like others mostly at night... I used to be a pretty calm person, but now looking back i have had my moments of rage !
Thank God i came across this website because luckily im on my 7day break at the moment, and will probably not take them again ! and try lady comp just like another lady has .... hope this helps

I am a new poster & am excited to be a part of this discussion !! I feel to close to this discussion because I have been experiencing the same issues.
I too have been having major chest pain issues for almost 2 months now. I started Yasmin (much to my dismay!) about 6 months ago. I haven't taken any b.c. since I was about 19, I am now 30, I started because my periods were absolutely unbearable anymore, intense cramping, heavy flow & in incapable of work/activity for the first 2 days. My doctor always pushed b.c. on me for the pain relief. Finally I agreed. I started in February, 2008.
Almost 2 months ago (7 months into Yasmin) I was getting a bit of chest pain along the ribs/inside of the side of the breast, mainly the right & sometimes on the left. I wasn't too worried as I am a healthy eating, yoga/work-out doing, average weight, no health issues what-so-ever except for my intense period kinda gal. About a month went by with increasing chest pain & I went to the hospital (up north at my moms when I was visiting, only an hour wait to get in as apposed to the 6 here back home!). My fear was heart problems. They did blood work & (I am not sure what this is called!) they hooked me up with tons of little stickies & monitored my heart. - I mentioned to the doctor I was taking b.c. & he said it wasn't an issue, they usually pose blood clot risk....not my issue here.
They said everything was normal & because of the sensitivity of the chest pain (it is sore to the touch!) he said it was costochondiritis, the inflammation of the chest wall. So I thought that was it, I would just take the Advil the suggested 3 times a day for inflammation & it would go away. I did this for 2 weeks & nothing changed.
I was getting some shooting pains in my chest & went back to my doctor, explained my visit up north & what they concluded it was. She said that the costochondiritis has made me sensitive to acidic foods, prescribed me with previcid for a week. That didn't make any difference at all.
Here I am another month later & my chest pain feels worse, my chest still feels tender to the touch, I am short of breath going up the stairs, heart racing/palpitations, gas (burping & passing gas), some upper back ache, I am feeling helpless & beat down !!
By now I'm sure there is a bit of anxiety mixed in there, I have been so sad, scared & worried!
I went back to my doctor & she sent me for an upper G.I. to rule out acid reflux & it came back normal. I also did some blood work again (which have since came back normal) & am waiting for the results. She said she doesn't think it's costochondiritis now. I am scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound & with a cardiologist (I go tomorrow) for an EKG for my heart.
Last night my hubby & I were talking, my co-worker was really upset to hear I've still been taking the pill, she thinks it's poison. I told my guy that & we got out the information booklet from my Yasmin & there were ALL of my symptoms, there was a list of 12 & I had 8 of them !!! No vision or numbness problems but all of the chest pain/breathing issues.
I took my last pill 2 days ago (it was my last before my period) & I have no plans to start again. I am going to follow through with the scheduled appt.'s just in case but my hubby & I have our money on the pill being the cause for all of this.
1 thing that gets me is when I went to my doctors with this issue in the beginning, not once did she bring up the pill or say to stop the pill. In the booklet under all of the symptoms I've been having it says to immediately stop taking the pill. ;(
After taking my last pill I felt a bit better (it's only been a week/my menstruating week), the sharp pain on the inside/side of my breast/chest has not been as sensitive to the touch. I still have had palpitations (minor, not lasting long - to lasting up to 4 hours until I just go sleep to try to get rid of it) & sparse shooting/dull/aching pain in my chest/armpit.
YASMIN SHOULD BE BANNED !!

I have been on Jasmin for 3 years and stopped taking the pill 3 weeks ago after finishing the last pack.

I had 1 panic/anxiety attack 2 weeks before I started the pill but was FULLY FREE of all other symptoms listed below. After I started the pill, the anxiety continued, but not with the same intensity - I stopped having panic attacks and instead felt permanently uneasy and anxious and began having high blood pressure. I cannot be sure that the pill has aggravated my symptoms, but neither can I believe that my fully changed reaction to any stress (I used to be very stress-resistant) has come from that one panic attack (triggered by strained back muscles).

The symptoms have really started about 3-4 months after I began and became gradually worse. I went to every doctor imaginable and they did not find anything at all wrong with me, except high pressure, which they said is from stress. I have been in psychotherapy for months and do not see an improvement and I feel like I have completely lost the last 3 years of my life: I am afraid of everything, I am unhappy despite a great boyfriend and I cannot imagine my life continuing like this.

When I asked my gyn whether this could be caused by the pill (I did not even connect this all to Yasmin), he said it is unclear, but I should stop because of my high blood pressure anyway.

Here are symptoms I have experienced, though whether they are all from the pill is still unclear to me.

1. Elevated blood pressure (around 140/90 or much higher if I am anxious)
2. Permanent anxiety with varied intensity
3. Permanent muscle tension with resulting pain all over the body
4. Hypoglycemia-like symptoms (but my sugar levels are never really low)
5. Headaches occasionally which can last several days
6. Facial muscle spasms
7. Jaw/tooth pain
8. Tremors - shaking all over for several minutes to half an hour
9. All the standard anxiety symptoms - chest pain, lump in the throat, dizziness, numb fingers, etc.
10. Extreme fatigue
11. Sleeping over 8 hours and still feeling tired
12. Inability to concentrate on anything - trouble working
13. Intense fear attacks during stressful situations (client meetings, talking to my boss, etc)
14. Dry eyes
15. Dry skin
16. Very high adrenalin production - cannot drink any coffee at all
17. Red wine intolerance - my throat starts to contract for some reason
18. Pressure in my head and in the nose now and then
19. Pain in my legs and calves - usually after walking for over an hour
20. Irritability
21. Lack of interest in any social activities, I avoid friends and am afraid of doing anything outside my usual routine
22. Cannot go on without carbs for more than 3-4 hours without feeling hypoglycemic
23. Severe stomach pains and nausea (occasionally)
24. Itching skin

I think this is all...but there could be a couple of things I forgot.

Until now, I have not noticed any real improvements, but my skin is gradually getting worse, which I expected. I guess 3 weeks is not enough to reverse what has been happening in my body for the last 3 years and I am trying to to lose faith and continue going to my psychotherapist...

sweats, fatigue, anxiety, major leg cramps, weight gain after getting of it! terrible sleep and insomnia! I am now using nuvaring...no trouble. any and everything seems to make my stomach swell after having used it...i also developed a golf ball sized cyst...and got gall bladder disease. major nausea for no apparent reason! I got off of it when i couldn't stand the idea of having another period after already have 5 in a 60day span. I am still not better after three months! Ugghhh! After being sick with gallbladder disease and these symptoms/side effects...I am feeling hopeless and terrible! Yasmin sucks! But it was taken in hopes of a clearer complexion...it's odd that it actually got worse.

God Bless all of the others who have and are going through what I am...

Hi to all Yasmin victims. I have been off Yasmin for 2 months now and still experiencing anxiety in the mornings and depression. Silke, flower babies, whoever is there to help me believe this suffering will come to an end. I lost the joy in life, and cannot function as i used to. Please please write to me girls, i really need support. I am 26 and living on my own in another city. I had to move next to them for 1.5 months in order to survive. I lost so much weight, my thyroid started to work fast (it is under control now). I have a beautiful and loving boyfriend, and he is suffering with me too, our relationship is damaged a lot because of my severely depressed mood. I need to talk to people who are getting better. I am on antidepressants because I was soooo depressed and with no appetite. I feel much better compared to the previous month, I am trying my best to stay strong but sometimes loose my hope. I really need you guys, I really need your supporting words.

Ive been on Yasmin for 3 months by which time it shouldve already absorbed in my system. Im 17 and the other day after 3 months of feeling ok but being diagnosed with mild depression and a hormonal imbalance; feeling ok but a little skirmish and over the past week, I got into the shower and nearly passed out twice. This was unusual for me because ive never fainted before and Ive never been dizzy. I got half dressed on the ground opened up the bathroom door and yelled out to mum. If you've ever seen a corpse's face, that's what mine looked like. I wanted to cry coz i was so scared but no tears came out. My legs felt weak and i wanted to throw up and i had a huge headache that lasted probably two-three days; i had severe abdominal/period pain and I thought I was going to die. On top of that I had to miss the day off school and mum had to take me to the doctors. The doctor told me that it was all just to do with Yasmin so she put me on a new pill called Levlen ED. I was so scared and i wouldn't wish this on anyone. If it happens again to me i may have to see a gynecologist. Please if there is anyone out there that has had the similar thing can you please let me know? xx L.

My 15year old daughter has just stopped taking Yasmin due to severe depression, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, suicidal thoughts and chest pain with erratic heartbeat. I thank God that we figured out the connection to Yasmin. She has been spiraling down so quickly, I thought I was losing her. While she does not relish the return of heavy, long periods, she is so ready to have her sanity back. Her counselor and gyn confirm the strong likelihood of these being side effects of the Yasmin. I was ready to put her on Prozac and sleeping pills because the situation was so desperate! While I was on Yasmin for years with no adverse effects, there ARE people who are desperate because of this pill! The hundreds of posts are too numerous to ignore the REAL truth. Is is worth it to "just try it out" for a boob inflation? You are taking a serious risk, sweetheart!

I just posted a side effect on the Yaz page. I know all birth control pills are different for everyone but for the most part I had a lot of success on Yasmin. I was on Ortho Tricyclin for about 2 years in my early 20's and started having severe abdominal pain and severe bloating (all over my body). After several tests (blood work, CT scan, ultrasound, etc.) came back normal, I asked my ob/gyn to switch me to another type of birth control b/c I really didn't feel like myself and when your Mom says "You look like a zombie" then you know something is wrong. He gave me a prescription for Yasmin and I had immediate abdominal/bloating relief and felt normal again. I took Yasmin for 6 years and my only complaint is that I got PMDD the last 6 months I took it. I wasn't sure if it had something to do w/ turning 30 or just being on Yasmin for that long or a combination. I saw a commercial for Yaz and asked my ob/gyn if I could try it. The PMDD went away after the second month on Yaz but next week I'm going to try Yasmin again due to side effects I developed on Yaz (no energy, tired all the time, not feeling alert, feeling depressed). I'm crossing my fingers that Yasmin help me feel normal again and not bring back the PMDD.

Okay, I don't have any side effects, but I do want to know something important!
I'm 16 years old and i REAALLLY want someone (who knows about the Yasmin pill!) to help me out with this one. Tomorrow i am going to the doctor with my mom. I have irregular menstruation. Like 2 or one week before it's supposed to come. I also get cramps, which are just enough to hold out...But the thing is, i just want to get the Yasmin pill. I heard that it clears your skin (although i don't have acne or anything) and it can make your breast bigger.. I have like a A-cup and bigger breast are nicer.
But now I read these bad experiences and I'm just scared to start it.. But still i wanna try it, 'cause I can stop right after it starts to become bad, right??
Please give me a good and useful answer!

Thanx!
A confused girl

After reading these reviews i feel so relieved!!!
I have finally found what has been destroying my life these past few months.
Yasmin is surely the cause for my uncontrollable emotional outbursts, anxiety, depression, phases of feeling happy one minute & then dramatically sad and low the next, having a very very short temper- especially with my boyfriend and with relationship issues.. crying almost everyday , sometimes for no proper reason!!
all these symptoms contributing to my lack of interest in many things i used to love, for example exercising, socializing.. etc..
YASMIN has ruined my year!!!
I'm going off it tomorrow once and for all!!!

Well where to start. It started one Weds morning at work. Suddenly came over all dizzy and light headed and felt really really sick. Went home and started with a temperature. Parents say I was pretty spaced out for several days and didn’t really want to talk to anyone. It’s like I was there but I wasn’t. Went to doctor a couple of times and they diagnosed a virus. Problems with sleeping started. Ended up at the hospital out of hours as I was shaking, felt sick, thought I was going to pass out. Nothing found so sent back home. Saw doc again and was referred to a doctor at the hospital who had an interest in viruses. Saw doc and loads of blood was taken for testing. Went back after a couple of weeks and blood tests where clear. By that point I was feeling a bit better so they thought it was post viral fatigue. Went back to work part time and worked myself up to full time. Then it started again. Had to be fetched from work. Colleagues said it was more like I was having a panic attack. Broke down completely. Couldn’t stop crying and was in a right state. Went to docs and was diagnosed with depression and still post viral fatigue. My main symptoms have been, panic attacks, anxiety, faintness, dizziness, nausea, general feeling of unwell, blocked ears, palpitations. There are probably more but I can’t think of them at the minute (Oh yeah, brain fogginess as well !) More blood tests were done and that’s when they said my hormones were a bit low but they didn’t think it was anything to worry about. That’s when I started researching Low hormones and started to come across the problems with Yasmin. I cannot tell you what a relief it’s been. I honestly thought I was going mad and that there was nothing wrong with me and it was all in my head. I sat looking that the screen going ‘that’s me !’ Have stopped taking them straight away. Will see how we get on. Doctor didn’t know anything about the problems and has said he will be interested to know how I get on. I cannot believe they didn’t know. Main thing is I know now and can start getting better.

Hi, i just wanted to say that very many people use Yasmin with little or no side effects whatsoever, i sympathies so much with everyone who has had bad side effects, and i completely agree that every person is different, some birth controls work for people, some don't. I find that most people who look up forums are the ones who have problems with a tablet, and thats why the majority of posts are all negative. To everyone who has had bad side effects i sympathies so much and would recommend trying a different pill, however very many people use this pill with little or absolutely no side effects (i know of some people with no side effects at all on Yasmin). I just don't want people to be worried unnecessarily. It is meant to be one of the pills with the least side effects and don't rule out using it because of some negative posts.

WENDY.... IN UR POST ABOUT THE BLOOD CLOTS IN THE LUNGS.. WHAT WERE YOU FEELING THAT MADE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL? THIS PILL IS A LIFE RUNNER....I FEEL FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU... ANYONE THAT EXPERIENCED THE ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS ON THE PILL... AFTER STOPPING YASMIN DID THEY GO AWAY?....

i posted on here in January about my experience with this pill and how i ended up in the hospital with 2 lungs full of blood clots. thankfully, i am now off the blood thinner and released from my blood specialist unless i develop more symptoms. but, i have not been able to lose the weight i gained during the 4 months i was on the yaz. i gained 20+ pounds during that time. i was thinking that maybe the blood thinner and anxiety pill were causing me to keep the weight on after i got off yaz, but now i am not taking either of those, and i still can't seem to lose the weight.

have any of you successfully lost the weight gained during the time you were on Yasmin or yaz? exercise and diet just doesn't seem to be doing what it should for me. (but, i am truly happy to just have my life and be healthy once again, even if i don't have the same body that i used to.....)

After reading the comments posted here I was rather alarmed to say the least. I've never heard of this site before, but I'm really glad that I'm doing some research for my not have book project, otherwise I would not have stumbled across this site.
I had been prescribed Yasmin by my GP at the time, I remember asking about any side effects and was simply told nothing out of the ordinary to worry about. Now that I think back to that appointment what an absolute idiot I feel. I had been taking Yasmin for 5-6 months. I started noticing that something wasn't quite right coming into the third month.

I was experiencing being extremely insecure, suicidal thoughts, crying for no particular reason, extreme mood swings, irritable, anxiety, depression. head aches, socially withdrawn, lack of interest in sports and keeping fit, weight gain, lack of interest in life and violent behavioral outburst.

I had under gone several blood and urine test only to be told that everything was normal, and that I need a holiday - I was just stressed out. My poor Boyfriend, the crap that I would dump on him became unbearable. I couldn't help myself, I had no control over what was happening to me. I started to loathe my work environment and the work colleagues.

It was until my boyfriend and I had an all mighty king disagreement of all disagreements with me venting like Mt Versuvies and physically attacked one of my best friends that I had convinced myself there and then that I was having a nervous breakdown. My boyfriend and I where we were working decided to leave and for me to get medical attention once and for all. We both knew that something was wrong with me big time, but had no idea that this little pill would prove to be so deadly. That day was Monday the 1st of Sept. The day we decided that enough was enough and seek out medical attention.
First I got rid of my usual GP and found a much better switched on intoned female GP. My mother had first planted the suggestion in my head after hearing what I was experiencing. She said to me I think you have been poisoned and I want you to take along all the medication including women's multi vitamins along to your new GP and show her.

On consulting my new GP she too asked what the matter was, I therefore relayed my symptoms again and showed her all my medications and bingo she simply said it's the Yasmin pill that you have been taking that has been causing you all this grief. Just like that, but to be on the safe side she sends me off to more tests and she's right. So what to do about the poison in my body. I undertook a drastic change in lifestyle and dietary intake. Made a commitment with myself no working away in the bush until I have detoxed the toxic chemicals out of my body. Total vegetarian, fruit and vegetable juices 3 times a day, over 2 litres of water, 2 Tblspn castor oil and 2 Tblspn of olive oil daily. Colonic hydrotherapy every second day followed my endermologie sessions also - 3 a week. Daily yoga stretches, reading self help literature and researching this horrid pill. Oh course this isn't for everyone and can be quite costly - but now Sunday the 28th I glowing with improved health and well being. I above mentioned side effects have have most like magic disappeared from within.
The hardest thing accepting that I was doing this to myself and not knowing that I was poisoning myself. I hope everyone else out there that has been experiencing the same horrible side effects can find a solution to getting themselves back on track and finding that they will sparkle again if not brighter.
By MissFreeSpirit

ok so reading all this just CAUSED me to have a panic attack. i've been having bad depression and mood swings and anxiety and today i was having really really bad stomach cramps and bloating and i can't concentrate and now i'm freaking out. i'm a pretty bad hypochondriac anyway, and now i'm afraid i'm going to have a stroke or something.

i'm sorry if this is really rambly i just wanted to go ahead and post something while i was freaking out to give an example of the anxiety issues caused by this....
:(

i've only been on it for a month and a half now and only have a week left of this pack but after that week i'm quitting. just to make sure my period timing is normal...

oh by the way about me: i'm 17, i've been with the same guy for almost a year, nothing has changed drastically in my life , i'm not as big of a moron as i seem like from this post, i have normal bodily functions , i exercise regularly, i'm pretty healthy, and i normally don't have nearly this bad of emotional issues and don't cry as easily as i have been.

Last week I started to have this pain in the chest. I thought they will go away but they didn't. I went to a chiropractor that said it is my back that couses all this pain, the tingling feet and arms, dizziness. But 2 days ago, my mom told me that on the news they showed a 22 years old girl from Croatia that died because of Yasmin. Today I looked online to see if i can find something about it. and I found this site. And i read more then half of the posts. I am taking Yasmin for 14 months. And everything that is in these posts i felt in on me. Except the weight. I am still the same at 120 pounds. but, the anxiety, the panic attack - my first ever, emotional problems - which i never had before - OMG - i don't want this anymore. I love life - i didn't get ther to have suicidal attempts. But it is bad. No libido - from a person who loved to have sex, painful intercourse, crying for no reason. etc. Tomorrow no more pills. that's it. My chest hurts so bad that i feel like crying.

I was put on Yasmin not for birth control but for the beginning of fertility treatments. I was on Yasmin only 1 months. After about 2 days I started getting symptoms. I called the Pharmacist and my fertility doctor and they both told me the pill wasn't the culprit. But after the 20th day I just couldn't take it anymore I went off of it. After starting Yasmin I had TERRIBLE Panic attacks, Anxiety ( still have to this day two months later), Heart Palpitations, leg cramps, boobs hurt, breathing trouble ( still to this day), HORRIBLE thoughts, adrenaline rushes all hours of the day, tingling in my hands and feet, my mind feels fuzzy, no appetite, no sex drive, depression, crying fits for hours, I felt like i was going insane.... You name it I had it. I stopped the pill two months ago and I still have the horrible anxiety/attacks, feel like i cant breath properly, OCD about my breathing.

I went to the hospital and got checked for blood clots in my lungs, legs, Asthma test, EKG, blood tested, was put on heart monitor all came back normal. I have started seeing a therapist, on depression meds and none of it is working. I feel like this pill has ruined my life and i wasn't even trying to stop life i was trying to help create it.

Here i am two months after stopping the pill and yes some of the stuff has went away but i still suffer with Anxiety from the time i wake up in the morning till the time I go to bed at night. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. My head is getting a little clearer and I am not as depressed as before. But I am just praying that this anxiety goes away. I have NEVER been a person who can't handle stress or gets anxiety/panic attacks and since it started it hasn't stopped. I am so very weak, muscles ache so much which i think is from the anxiety attacks and the muscles tightening.

So if you have this... you are not alone! I am suffering with it everyday. It is so debilitating I cant do much. Has anyone else had this months after stopping Yasmin?

Wow ~ I am so happy that I came across this website tonight. I started taking Yasmin a year ago and I am calling my doctor's office tomorrow to get off this pill! I initially started my search on WebMD's symptom checker because I am so frustrated with never feeling right! When I came across all of these stories, it started to piece everything together and I couldn't believe that I never thought my problems could be caused by my birth control pill!! I am 29 years old and have always been a very healthy woman, which is why I have been so frustrated because I KNOW that something is not normal with the way I have been feeling ~ this is what I have been experiencing for the last year, with some of the symptoms getting worse over the last 6 months: constant waves of nausea (everyday!), heart palpitations, anxiety, diarrhea, gas, stomach problems, hot flashes, complete intolerance to the heat, dizziness, headaches, sore calves, sore breasts. I had told my doctor about the stomach issues, the nausea, the heart palpitations, and she actually prescribed Xanax because they were all symptoms of anxiety (which I couldn't believe that I had because I am in the best possible place in my life now!) ~ but that is beside the point. I am now starting to believe that anxiety should not be the diagnosis, but a symptom of being on Yasmin!! I hope I can update this posting in a few months with great news after I switch to something else!

Yasmin basically ruined my life for the 6 months I was on it. I was 22 when I first started taking it, and for the first 4 months on it everything was great, then suddenly I started having extreme panic attacks - laying in bed shaking uncontrollably, my chest so tight that I felt like someone was sitting on me. Every other hour I felt like either crying or screaming or pulling my hair out. I started questioning everything in my life, including the great relationship I was in at the time. I was absolutely miserable to my boyfriend - either mean or crying for no reason. I had to miss work because I couldn't get out of bed because I couldn't stop crying in the morning. If I did go to work - I would have to run to the bathroom to cry. Eventually I ended up seeing a doctor and going on antidepressants. That didn't help either. Finally, I decided to take myself off of everything and just try to pull my life back together. It took about 4 months to get back to being myself. Needless to say, the boyfriend couldn't stick this one out, and quite frankly I don't blame him. Just a few days ago, I tried going on Yasmin again, thinking maybe it was just circumstantial last time - graduating college, new job etc. Literally, on day TWO of taking the pill, I felt all the symptoms come rushing back. I stopped the pill yesterday and feel pretty much normal again. PLEASE don't take this pill, and let anyone you know that's on it know how much this pill can ruin your life.

I see many women saying rapid heart beat and anxiety, but has anyone else experienced dry mouth, insomnia, and/or a lack of vaginal fluid? I'm a little concerned.
Cindy

I've been on Yasmin for a bit over a week now (after changing from Cyclen because of unusual bleeding) and after the second pill I had really bad side effects. First day, I was happy, my sex drive was to the roof! and felt great. The second day, I had two fights with my boyfriend over stupid stuff and then I cried all day. The third day, still crying with anxiety, almost paranoia. I couldn't go to sleep, racing thoughts, sweats. And then for the next few days, I kept the anxiety, the mood swings, stomach problems, I felt depressed (really bad thoughts) and felt just weird, totally not normal. I forgot a pill and the day after, I felt GREAT! I didn't take it for 2 days and never felt better. I took one last night and all of the side effects are back... I threw the pack this morning and called my doctor for an appointment. I will NEVER touch this thing ever again...

Hi Gosh I can't thank this forum enough. I have booked my appointment for the Doc today I have felt so bad, and then came across this forum. I used to suffer from Panic attacks about 5 years ago. It happened suddenly and it got so bad that I ended up in Hospital. I was put on anti depress. for a year. Now I know I was on the pill then but can't remember which one and never thought about a link. However I have been fine for the last few years and was not in a relationship so didn't go on pill. Now in one for the past year and a half and firstly went on Dianette as I had bad acne then6months later went on to Cilest, had really bad breakthrough bleeding on both. So last month switched to Cilest. Have had two major Panic Attacks within the month, and as I never associated the pill with the attacks the last time it never occurred to me until now that it could be related. It was obvious to me that there was a connection to Yasmin as I just went from normal to mental this month, had a huge row with my Fiancé over nothing, had two major attacks. On Saturday was out at a meal and my mouth went like sandpaper, couldn't get rid of it then almost a second later major diarrhea
and felt heart palps. Was up all night anxious. Now my head is all fuzzy, ringing in the ears, feel my neck is stiff and I am dizzy all the time and my heart is really beating out of my chest. My contacts are also a nightmare with dry eyes This is after one month on Yasmin and it has to be it as nothing else in my life has changed over the month (except getting engaged< so I can’t be depressed!) I have really felt out of sorts and bloated too. I have talked to my Fiancé about it and have said that I may just come off the pill all together and get an alternative non hormonal contraceptive as I am just so unhappy on the pill and sick of changing.

Hi, ladies. I have been on and off birth control for nearly 8 yrs now. I am 26. I started when i was 17 d/t very heavy menstrual bleeding and cramps. I've been on several different kinds. I just started Yasmin (actually the generic) 3 days ago and have decided to come off of it already. After reading some of your comments I have def decided I'm going to take a break from the pills. I have experienced severe depression and anxiety within the past two days and my heart racing really rapidly. I have mitral valve prolapse and was surprised my nurse practitioner prescribed this for me. I have also been very sleepy. Not sure if this is one of the side effects or not. But please be careful to all of you out there when choosing birth controls. I've decided to take my chances w/ the cramps and just suck it up. No medicine is worth causing your body harm. I don't recommend Yaz or Yasmin to anyone!

I am a 26 yr old newly married woman and have been using Yasmin for 7 months.

I've experienced really sharp breast pain and sore calves occasionally whilst on the pill, but also have seen benefits of using this contraceptive - lighter, more regular periods, clearer skin and less greasy hair (these use to be big problems for me). I haven't had any severe mood swings either, as some have mentioned of having.

I think with all contraceptives there will be good and bad side effects - just depends which brands you can cope better with.

Just wondering if Yasmin can cause infertility if you take it for too long??

okinawak so sorry to hear about your daughter. All I can relate to you guys is my personal experience. I was on Norimin for a couple of years from the age of 19. For the last year (up until a couple of months ago) I was on Yasmin. I experienced anxiety whilst taking these pills which I attributed to stress, but since I have been off the pills I am feeling fantastic. I stopped taking Yasmin because I was experiencing other things like pains in my calves, hair loss and getting spider veins, loss of libido (I'm only 23). :-( I decided upon reading other experiences on this page to stop taking Yasmin. I am happy to report back that I am feeling great... Fantastic in fact. I won't say that its directly related to Yasmin as I have no way of proving that. All I can say is how I felt during and after. And for the last three months I have felt greater confidence in my ability to deal with what life throws at me. I am feeling happier all the time, and I think my libido is improving. All the best to you guys, and all those out there worried about symptoms, please go see your doctor!

I had been taking this pill for a month and a half, i'm 23 and my gp said it would be good for mood swings etc, in the first month i was constantly tearful with headaches, i felt better on my week break and then when i started back on it i got a rash covering my legs and the itching was unbearable, i also got pins and needles in my head and face, i stopped taking Yasmin at this point and the rash went straight away along with the pins and needles/anxiety,im sure it was because of the pill.

Hi ladies,

I just finished my last pack of Yasmin on Thursday because I felt I was pumped with hormones. I googled "coming off the pill Yasmin" and came across your comments.
I was originally put on Yasmin by my Doctor as I had put on a few pounds. I lost that weight with exercise (can't diet) but I have never lost my DD breasts (I was a C cup before Yasmin) and I've a tummy which when I bloat the week before my period, I look pregnant!
I've been experiencing a lot of the negative side effects of Yasmin over the last year and I was beginning to think I was going mad.
I suffer from very bad headaches, water retention, bloating and loss of sex drive.
In the last 2 or 3 months I'm now suffering with nausea, leg cramps, sore breasts, anxiety and feeling down.
As most of these symptoms have occurred in the last year, I just got fed up. I've been on the pill for 14 years (on and off), and on Yasmin for at least 6 years. I'm now 32, I'm married and would love a child.
I feel by coming off this pill, my body will settling into a routine before I hopefully conceive.
So glad I found your comments and I'm not alone in how my body feels.
Thank You.

I am 20 and have been on Yasmin a year and a half now and to be honest I am still not 100% completely convinced that Yasmin is the root of all my evils. To all of you who are having horrible side effects after a few days, give it time. Your body is trying to adjust to all the hormones you are putting into it and it’s doing its best to get back to normal. My first month was semi-bad, some nausea here and there and a little tenderness, but not enough to stop my life over. My doctor recommended taking the pill right before I went to bed so I could hopefully sleep though the nausea, which I usually did. After the first month I was perfectly fine and back to my normal life. I then switched to taking my pill in the morning so it was easier for me to remember. After reading countless “horror stories” on this website even I started saying, “oh my gosh, I have that….i have that too….and that!...its all because of that horrible Yasmin!” But then I had to take a step back and realize Yasmin is not to blame. Sure, I have panic attacks sometimes, but I have had those way before I started taking birth control and sure I get depressed sometimes, but what woman hasn’t at least once in their life? I didn’t lose or gain weight, my acne perhaps got a little better, and my breasts didn’t change an inch. My only questioning factor is that I don’t really have that big of a sex drive, but then I realized I never have. Now, before you all start yelling at me, I am not calling you liars in the least, I believe you and I feel sorry for all of you who have experienced bad things because of this or other birth control pills. For those of you who are thinking of taking Yasmin and are scared after reading all of these articles, remember, every body reacts to pills and medication differently. Thousands of people die every year from taking Tylenol and aspirin, but does that mean we should take these medicines completely off the shelves? Of course not. All I am saying is for every one Yasmin horror story there are thousands of very satisfied customers. Give it a try, you only have three months of your life to lose and so much to gain.

I starting Yasmin when my daughter was a few months old, my doctor told me it would be good for me to take since I have PCOS. I started having anxiety, leg cramps, and shortness of breath to a point that I wound up at the doctor and ER a lot, not knowing what was wrong with me. However I did lose like 100lbs on it getting down to 130lbs. Since I quit I have gained 25lbs back, however I don't feel like I'm gonna DIE! This pill is the wonder pill!!!!
Tara - FL

Yasmin is a steroid so when coming off it you can suffer all the same symptoms as someone stopping a steroid drug... and by the way, when people are taken off steroids it's done in a controlled way - they cut down on them very slowly by reducing the dosage. It's a real shock to the body to just stop a steroid. This could explain why a lot of us feel so terrible when we stop taking it. I know I had a real increase in severity of symptoms followed by months and months of exhaustion and fatigue.

I was on Yasmin for two months and then switched to the new generic form this month, completed two weeks and now I am taking myself off of the pill due to the following side effects: anxiety, crying over every little thing, insomnia, tiredness, extreme hunger, sore and swollen breasts, ear aches, constipation, and leg cramping.

My daughter took Yasmin for two months and 18 days. She began to experience anxiety but the nurse told her that Yasmin "took some getting used to." My daughter decided to give it one more month. In the 3rd month she experienced shortness of breath and some "funny little bloody noses." She had no symptoms of DVT's in her legs (pain or swelling). A doctor examined her on Wednesday and diagnosed "anxiety." On Thursday her nurse reassured me that the shortness of breath could definitely be caused by anxiety. Friday morning she collapsed in her dorm room. She turned blue. She was taken to the ER. She DIED eight hours later of massive pulmonary emboli.
Don't let this happen to you or someone you love. Know ALL the symptoms of blood clots in the legs OR in the lungs. These symptoms are buried in small print in the middle of the booklet. If you develop symptoms go to an ER IMMEDIATELY and insist on being checked for blood clots. Tell them you are on Yasmin. Do not accept the diagnosis of anxiety unless blood clots are ruled out. In addition, if you have a family history of blood clots be tested for clotting disorders BEFORE you start a birth control pill. She was my only daughter and my heart is broken. BE CAUTIOUS. We were falsely lured into a sense of safety because it was a "low dose" pill.

Has anyone been getting leg cramping in middle of night while sleeping, been missing periods every 2 1/2 months, and full of anxiety after stopping Yasmin? i've been experiencing these effects.

I'm 21 yrs old and have been on Yasmin for about 3 years, I've loved it - well I thought I did. I have been with my boyfriend for 2 years now, and this past year has just been really hard. I'll love our relationship one day and the next not be able to stand it and I love him more than anything. Over the past year I've experienced extreme mood swings, anxiety, haven't been able to handle stress - I've been breaking out in rashes at least once a month and really think it's because of this pill. I've also lost a lot of weight in the past year, I've been getting headaches everyday some to the point that I have to go to sleep because I can't think it's soo bad, I've had no motivation to do anything I have always, up to this point, loved doing. I've tried many anti depressants and have been off of them for about 2 years now, and have been thinking of going back on them because of the thoughts and feelings I've been experiencing. I thought it was just me, maybe there was something wrong with me? I've been on this pill for so long, who would've thought that it's just now causing these symptoms?
Yesterday I layed out by the pool for about an hour and when I got inside I noticed all these bumps on my arms that itched really bad, but they also hurt, so this morning I googled "sun bumps" and found that it can be cause from birth control pills, so then I googled "side effects of Yasmin" and I found this site. I am absolutely amazed at how many other women are experiencing exactly what I've been going through! I cannot believe that doctors don't bother mentioning all of these side effects to you, I'm absolutely terrified to go off of them because of the weight gain and also the mood swings I will more than likely experience. I got on the pill so I would have a normal period and it's really helped in that aspect, the craping isn't as bad, but the mood swings have definitely gotten worse.
I have called and left a message with my doctor to speak with her about what I've been going through now that I have a pretty solid idea that it's being caused from this pill.

I went on Yasmin after the birth of my third child because I was having all of these symptoms that everyone is describing...mood swings, anxiety, depression, crying all the time, heart palpitations and so much more...once I went on the Yasmin I felt like a whole new person and it worked really great. I went off of it to have my fourth child. After having my son I started having terrible bleeding and irregular periods but NO other problems like I was having before. I started the Yasmin to try and regulate my periods and now...I am having all of the Anxiety, mood swings, up at night, mind can't stop spinning, tired and depression, everything you girls are describing. It is as if my hormones have switched and now the Yasmin is causing all the side effects. I have to get off this stuff...sad thing is I had a tubal after having my son...so I don't need hormones for "birth Control" but the heaviness of my period was so bad that I can't go anywhere for two days...but at this point...I will deal with the irregularity then all the side effects that this drug causes.

I could not be happier that I decided to google insomnia due to Yasmin! Wow, as I sit here and type with my eyes barely open and not having a good night's sleep in a month, I am finally filled with hope that something can be done! It started to occur to me that my severe insomnia started just a few weeks after I started on this pill. Then last night I started having terrible anxiety. I've been dizzy and lethargic and cannot focus at work on the simplest of tasks. I just started taking Yasmin 2 months ago and just finished the pack today. I will definitely be talking to my doctor about trying something else or going off birth control all together. It is such a relief to have found that there are others feeling the same as I do (well, not for them of course!!).

My doctor wants to give me Yasmin due to bad pms every month. I am already on meds for mood disorder but they don't seem to budge the monthly aggravation and agitation I suffer. I am 43 and do not need a BC pill as I had my tubes done a few years back but he feels this may be the answer for the pms. I had an oblation procedure done last year and only have a 3-4 day mild period anyway. Is anyone else in this situation? Should I take this pill ?

My wife just took her first Yasmin pill today, and later that same night, she began to complain about feeling manic. She started to clean the house, and eventually laid down complaining of anxiety. Later as we were watching TV, she described a drug-like euphoria, similar to the come down of heavy stimulants or a mild hallucinagine. Out of concern, I hopped on the internet and came to this website, but I question whether she is experiencing a placebo effect. I believe these posts, and the harshness of the side effects, but I wonder if it is possible to experience the side effects so early on in the treatment. After reading these posts however, we are both considering trying something else.

I just started taking Yasmin last Week, so April 23rd and am already experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. I am having trouble sleeping and my boyfriend and I have started fighting which is a rare thing. I stopped taking it as of today and hope that it works as i cannot imaging feeling like this for long.

Hi all,
This is my third posting. I've been off of Yaz for two weeks and wanted to let you all know that I'm feeling pretty great. Headaches are gone, dizziness has mostly dissipated, mood is fantastic. Anxiety has diminished, heart palpitations are gone, and sex drive is back to where it should be. I'm having some joint aches and pains but it's hard to say if that's from the pill or just general wear and tear from working out. But I'm very optimistic! Best of luck to you all. My advice is if this pill works for you, great, stay on it. But if it's making you miserable, you have choices, and you should go off and try something new. Like my doctor said, there are tons of birth control pills out there, and you just want to find one that works for you and makes you happy. And if your doctor isn't telling you this, find a new doctor!
Good luck! I'm going back to orthocyclen next cycle.

I posted about a week ago, and have since gone off the pill. The last night I took it was last Monday, 4/14. I'm already feeling noticeably better. Still not 100%, but better. Got my period Friday night and was an emotional wreck that night and Saturday (uncontrollable crying to the point of burst blood vessels in the skin around my eyes), but yesterday was good. Today I'm feeling mellow and tired, but no anxiety, minimal headache, decreased dizziness, and much more clear-headed. Will continue to post about my progress. Best of luck to you all!

I am 26 years old, have a great job, boyfriend, friends and family. Everything was great until Oct. 1st, 2007 - the day I started taking Yaz. The first week, I would get into bad moods for no reason, and by the 4th month my life was spinning out of control. Actually, my mind was - my life was still near perfect. Here were my symptoms during this period: Panic Attacks, nausea, shaking, de-realization and so much more. There was a point where I was scared to live and scared to die. I didn't even want to leave my house. This is when I decided to see a psychiatrist who percribed me Klonopin (a form of Valium to get me through the days.)

I stopped taking YAZ The end of Jan 2008 (after I put 2 and 2 together), so I have been clean of it for approx. 2.5 months now. But the upsetting part for me was I thought the day I stopped taking the pill, was the day I would get my life back. Not so!!! I have been feeling a little better but I cry because I I still do not feel like my old self, which was happy, outgoing and full of energy. Does anyone know how long it takes to feel better? I hear 3 months, but I just want to know how long it took for someone to feel normal again. My anxiety is mostly gone, but now I just feel withdrawn and like my head is in a constant fog w/ extreme fatigue :(:(:(

Girls - I feel your pain. And I also see the other side, with the women that had sucess on this pill. My two closest friends were on Yaz and loved it! But for me, it took many months from my life and I am still not 100%. Thanks for everyone who shared. I think this is the first time I ever blogged on a web-site, and you girls gave me the encouragement to share my story. Please feel free to send me a personal e-mail for support.

Hi
I just started takin jasmin and so far so good ....but i just got off diane35
and let me tell you never agian ... today im 29 in 2005 i was havin a really bad smellie dark and thick discharg pain that would stop a train pms 24/7 so i went to my DR and he old me i was fine but to put my mind at eas we will do a few test bloodwork, MRI, X-Rays, CT-Scans, Ultra-Sounds, and other lab work. Two day after my frist test (Ultra-Sounds) he call me to come in and see him that day on a saturday and being my mom.... to this point in my life i was single not on any BC and had not had sex in a long time so i new that something was realy bad...when my mom and i sat in his office he came in and said to me i have very bad news you have a a very large sis and we need to look at it right away...my sis was 22cm across it went from my hip to my belly butten most sis are round or egg shaped mine was around one, i was 25 had my hole lif in frount of me and then i was pushed off a clif and was trying so hard to be strong when all the tast came back a few days later i had ovaryin cancer then i had it removed and that it was found out that i had stage 1 moving into stage 2 and with that news i had my right ovary and tube and part of my whom taking out ...today in cancer free (knock on wood) cant have a baby but im alive so i will take that and now have the worst face hair any one could ever have from the side of my face all under my chin and lots and very dark so the DR put me on diane35 i think i would want to have cancer agian then be on diane35 numbing in my legs, severe headaches, dizziness, and trouble falling asleep very painful breasts, I am nauseous and gassy, I am listless and have no energy at all, I feel tired all the time! I am also very crabby and irritable anxiety, depression, uncontrollable crying at random times, oh and the hair groth was and is the same...so now im on yasmin and have been for a few months and so far so good so if you think that there is something wrong with you and your body then tell some one and keep telling them till they listen to you i had a cancer that most 50year old get not 25 year olds and if i said to my DR ok you are write it is all in my head i would be 6 feet under today please listen to your body it never lies thank you

Hi, I started Yaz about 2 weeks ago. I am already on Zoloft for minor depression and anxiety. Stared Yaz the sunday I started my period. First the moodiness started, then the headaches. I thought I was getting sick with a cold because I had razor blade pain in my throat that I ended up attributing to Reflux. Went to the doctor to get meds to treat that. The pain went away then I got a metallic taste that I couldn't get rid of. Went to the dentist and nothing was wrong with my fillings. I thought I was going crazy because then I had vaginal itching and odor. I wasn't have a full period but I never stopped bleeding from my period when I started the pack. After finding this website I stopped mid cycle. This has scared the crap out of me. I know I haven't been on it for long, but can anyone tell me if they have stopped in the middle of the pack and how long it took for your period to be on a normal schedule again.

Yasmin - Sudden Panic/Anxiety-

I have been on Yasmin for 7 years. I started a new box and pack 3 weeks ago and 72 hours later had what I thought was a "panic attack". I had never suffered panic or anxiety before and I am 32. Then, the chest pain and anxious feeling wouldn't go away (not normal with panic I hear). I went to the Dr and my bloodwork was all "great". I went to a cardiologist and they tested my heart. It was indeed beating "extra" so I had to be one a monitor. Still, the entire time I was miserable and wondering what the heck had happened to me. How could I go from being a normal, well adjusted women to a crazy lady in one day. I was crying and couldn't function, concentrate or eat. I felt like an "out of body" type of experience almost, like it wasn't really me who was feeling all this. Very disoriented feeling. Well, the Dr gave me anxiety pills and I was going to take them. But, in the meantime I went on the "sugar pills" of my Yasmin and guess what? 72 hours after I stopped the pills I felt normal again!!! I'm still not 100%, I'm 90%. Now I have no hard evidence that Yasmin caused this, particularly since I've been on it so long but I can't help wondering if they changed the dosages or something. I have NEVER experienced any level of anxiety or panic before this and going off the pills was the only thing I changed when I started feeling better. Sounds like more than a coincidence to me.

Has this happened to anyone else recently???