Yasmin and birth control

I had been on Yasmin for about 2 years and it was great. I had no adverse side effects. My periods where shorter and lighter and I did not have the horrible cramps I had before getting on the pill. I loved it. Then about three months ago the pharmacy switched me to the generic, Ocella, which the pharmacist insisted was exactly the same, but beware it is not! I have gained about 15 pounds, I had to go up a whole bra size because my breasts are so swollen, my breast are tender and ache most of the time, and as of right now I have been bleeding badly for two weeks and I have never bled when it wasn't time for my period. My OBGYN said the generic was most likely the cause. I know the generic is cheaper but do not take it. Yasmin is well worth the extra money. I am getting back on it immediately! A lot of people do blame the pills for stuff that would have happened anyways. So do not be scared to take Yasmin. Everything isn't for everyone but it was good for me. It's done it's main job which is to keep me from getting pregnant and isn' that the reason most of us take birth control for? So put up with a few side effects, at least you don't have a baby to deal with!!!

I have just bought a pack of Yasmin for birth control and heavy periods but haven't taken any yet, nor have i ever tried BC pills before. I suffer from severe migraines daily it ruins everything i do and my GP's have been completely useless they don't even ask me any symptoms about my headaches and refused to let me see a specialist. The only thing he did was tell me I need to go on painkillers indefinitely which does not appeal to me at all.
I am now wondering if i should take Yasmin or not after reading all these bad reviews especially concerning migraines. Has anyone with constant migraine found a way to help them? Please let me know as im desperate to know what it feels like to not have a migraine.

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!

OMG I am so glad I found this side. I have just started taking Yasmin.

Previously I was on Mercilon and found that I got very nauseous a few days before my period was due (this happened a week ago on Friday) so I asked the doctor to change my pill and he prescribed Yasmin. I have IBS and last Wednesday I had a several attack (I was on my period as well). I then started taking Yasmin the next day. By Saturday I had to spend the day in bed as I felt so sick. I actually thought I was going to be sick. There is a bug going round work so thought it might of had something to do with that or my IBS. IT started to clear by the beginning of this week, but even now my stomach feels like someone has kicked me, I just cant eat (the thought just turns my stomach) and I feel sick ALL of the time. Today I realised that this is most likely due to the Yasmin. I am going back on Mercilon as of next month. I decided I would rather put up with one day of feeling sick than all the time! The doctor and the pharmastic told me to continue taking Yasmin till my period but I just cant do that. I am not covered this month anyway because I changed mid way through my period so I might as well not take it and be careful for a month.

My sister takes Yasmin and has no problems at ill but its the worst one I have ever taken. I had problems with Dianette as well but my body cant take the high Oestrogen levels. I think it is weird how a pill can work for one woman and not the next when effectively they do the same thing!

I've been on birth control for 10 years and recently had to switch. My doctor put me on Yasmin. I've been on it for 3 weeks, and for the past week I've felt crazy, especially in the past 2 days. My heart has been racy, I've had intense anxiety, I've been extremely sensitive. Overall, I'm happy with my life and have nothing to feel sad or anxious about, but that is all I've been feeling. I also have felt like I can't sleep good for the past 2 nights. I wake up really hot, sweaty and with achey legs. I'm done with this pill!!!!!!!!!!

I am 20 years old and I just started taking Yasmin 2 weeks ago, my first time ever being on the pill. The past 2 weeks have felt like 2 of the worst weeks of my life. I feel nauseous and have abdominal pains frequently, especially in the mornings. I am tired all the time. I find that I am extremely sensitive and have been feeling so depressed that sometimes all I want to do is lay in bed and escape from the rest of the world. I cry all the time for no reason, and can't help snapping at people. I feel anxious and stressed out and I felt like I was losing my mind until it clued in that this all started when I started taking Yasmin. I have a little over a week left in my pack, but after reading this website especially, and dealing with these side effects, I don't even want to finish this pack; but I am afraid that not finishing the pack could cause worse effects too? I am really unsure of what to do. I definitely am switching to a different kind of birth control next month but I don't know if I should keep using the Yasmin up until this pack is done and just hope that the side effects do not worsen, or cease use and hope for the best.
My sympathies go out to all of you who are experiencing such horrible side effects just from trying to practice safe sex.
Men have it so easy it seems...

My experience with Yasmin was very similar to the one posted by "vpompon19" on October 26th 2007.

I took Yasmin for only a month. The day after I started, I had those symptoms:

- Nausea that last day and night
- Complete loss of appetite.
- Extreme fatigue
- Sleeping over 8 hours and still feeling tired
- Brain fog - inability to concentrate on anything
- Irritability
- Hypersensibility - I would cry for nothing...
- Feeling extremely nervous and nauseous when I had only half a green tea!
- Heartburn (I suffer from acid reflux but it was almost gone until I started Yasmin)
- Depression

When i stopped, I had the most painful period I've had for at least 8 years.
Plus I immediately started an urinary tract infection (which I never had before).

Two weeks later I experienced unbearable back pain. The doctor told me I had a herniated disk but I didn't force or had any trauma so I was sceptical. It turned out to be mononucleosis!

So thank you not Yasmin for having wasting at least 2 months of my life (so far), not mentioning the fear I had a more serious disease... No more birth control pill for me ever. I took another brand (Marvelon) for 7 years, then I stopped one year and my Irritable Bowel Syndrome disappeared. But my acne came back (even though I took Accutane when I was 15 - which I'm sure is the cause of my uncontrollable acid reflux).

I found out there are natural, safer and cheaper contraceptive methods. Don't wait until your doctor or the education system tell you about them because you'll be dead already.

M.

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

Hi guys. I am so glad I found this site. I am 29 and I have been on Yasmin for four years. In the last few months I have toned up and shed a few pounds and all of a sudden last week I got home and felt a tightening in my legs that I had never felt before. Then a tingling in my left arm and I had trouble swallowing and breathing. I am a very healthy person so I freaked out and went to the ER for the first time in my life. After the blood work, EKG, MRI and stress test they told me I was normal, except for low potassium levels and mentioned that I should go to a neurologist. I also thought I must be allergic to something but all the foods I had been eating were the same as before. Well it happened again tonight so I went online because there was no way I was going to spend more money in the ER to have them tell me it was nothing. After reading all the comments on this page I realized it is amazing how many other symptoms that I didn't realize also correlated to the pill. My hair has been falling out at the root like never before and I just recently developed troubles with eating tomato based foods. I haven't been sleeping good lately either and I started crying uncontrollably for no reason. Well I am throwing away my Yasmin and I can't believe that the doctors in the ER aren't mentioning the side effects of this birth control.

I was on Yasmin for almost a year, and then on Yaz, and I've never felt so crazy in my life. The mood swings were so bad that it was like I was bipolar and became a different person. Worst part is that I couldn't realize it until I was out of the "bout" of anger, depression, and even paranoia. I have had emotional side effects with birth control before, and these were some of the worst. I just really wish there was a non-chemical birth control that didn't involve plastic, latex, or stingy spermicides! I know many women who cannot take hormonal birth controls, and we all complain that our sex life is not as good, and even causes big problems for some. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hi, Ive just turned 18 and something very similar happened to me. I have been on Yasmin for 5 months now and yesterday I got really bad cramps and passed out in the shower. I have been feeling a bit odd for a while now so my boyfriend took me to hospital. We thought that i might be pregnant since i have been having the following symptoms for over a week now:
hot flushes (mostly at night)
nausea
cramps
really bad headaches that last for days
light nervousness
and I feel so so tired all the time even if I have slept for 10 hours
im not sure what is wrong with me and its been really frightening. I never though it could be the pill but after reading all these posts im now starting to wonder...

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...

I started taking Yasmin 3 months ago due to a friend's recommendation to stop by other birth control (mercilon) and start Yasmin. The first to months were fine, but the last few weeks have been filled with EXTREME nausea. After days of filling the need to vomit, I actually considered the fact that I could be pregnant even though pretty impossible. Two weeks ago, I was telling a friend about my extreme nausea and her response, 'it's Yasmin.' Turns out she had exactly the same problems. I told another friend about my 'horrific BC experience' and she asked which pill so when I told her Yaz she responded she also had major problems. I've never heard of so many people with problems! Although I do have one friend who is on it and has no problems with Yasmin.
It's been two weeks since I've figured out my physical problems are related to Yasmin (oh, is anyone else experiencing diarrhea?). Unfortunately I've had to finish the pack and I'm so happy that I finally have.....sadly, I'm at home sick from work because of this stupid pill. I've been so nauseous today (the day I'm starting my period) that I couldn't go to work so I've been in bed sleeping for 5 of the last 24 hours trying to sleep off the feeling. I'm hoping and praying that tomorrow I'll be okay again and I won't ever fill this away again.
Thank you you listening.

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.

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.

I have been on Yasmin for over a year, I have had no negative side affects. I really like it. I think that every drug affects people differently and I don't think a website like this should scare anyone from taking Yasmin. Take it, try it and if you like it then stay on it. Every birth control pill/IUD/ring or whatever out there has a website like that but there are tons of people who really like it and because they like it they aren't angry enough to get online and blog about it. Don't let these side effects scare you, make your own decision.

I started taking Yaz about a year and a half ago. I'm no longer continuing this pill after this month's pack is finished. I have to say that at first, it was a really great pill. The first month was hell. I bled for a month straight, and I was so irritable, and emotional, and my bf would talk about silly shit, like beached whales and I would start bawling. I spent four months living overseas after starting the pill so I didn't notice the loss of sex drive and sensitivity at first. But when I came back I started to notice all the little things that were becoming huge issues. My sex drive is more or less gone. I actually fell asleep last night while my boyfriend was trying to get me aroused. That's awful. I always feel tired lately. I get a lot of headaches. I read that this pill increase your potassium, and my mother's told me she has a lot of potassium so when she eats bananas she gets splitting headaches, and I'm the same way, so I'm starting to realize where all these headaches are coming from. Sometimes they are so bad that Advil does nothing at all and I end up having to rub between my thumb and forefinger while trying to fell asleep to make the pain stop. I've become extremely moody. My moods change so often now. I'm irritable. I am coming off of two really tough years of my life, and things are really great for me right now, and I don't feel great. I never want to have sex. Foreplay doesn't feel as good as it used to. I don't get aroused quickly, and I have a lot of trouble climaxing. I smoke weed and was smoking mixed spliffs with my bf for some time not even thinking about it, and the reaction the tobacco had with the pill was horrible. I'm certain that if I didn't stop I would have ended up in the ER. I would experience fainting spells, momentary blindness!!, I'd go really pale after getting very hot. I nearly passed out on at least four occasions before discovering the link. After I stopped, I felt much better. But now I can feel all the emotional side effects. I've also been sleepless for a long time, and I think that has to do with the pill, too. Lately I've been getting very nauseated if I eat shortly after taking the pill. And it doesn't matter what I eat. I'm constantly burping like I have a nervous stomach, but I've been calming my mind lately so there's really no reason for it. I've got a lot going on with life and whatnot, but I'm usually able to handle a lot of pressure and stress without breaking down, and this pill has made me almost incapable to dealing with the slightest bit of stress. It's horrible. And I don't want any part in it, or in the pharmaceutical business. I'm going to try tracking my own ovulation. At least I won't have some crazy hormones messing up my system.

Oh. I also had a fibroadenoma (breast cyst) this summer that I had to have a biopsy on (which was really fun, let me tell you...), and I can't say that the pill caused it, but I've never had cysts in my breasts before... The pill did inflate them an extra cup size, and during the third week of pills they are so tender I can't even let my boyfriend touch them or hug me tightly because they hurt so badly. And I live in NYC and there are a lot of stairs to bounce down and it's painful.

I see all the same symptoms with everyone who takes this pill and has a bad experience, and I've decided that it's not for me. The man can wear a condom for a while, while I try to regain my normal self again.

I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a class action lawsuit against Yasmin.

I started taking Yasmin last October and the first three months I was on it, I was bleeding every day. It was the first time I ever got on a birth control pill. I stayed on the pill for a total of 6 months until one night I suddenly had severe abdominal pain along with nausea. It went bad from worse and I was rushed into emergency room later that day.

My diagnosis was acute pancreatitis due to high level of triglycerides. The doctors ran a series of tests, blood, ultrasound, CAT scan, and X-ray, etc. Their conclusion was Yasmin caused the dramatic increase of my triglycerides, and ultimately caused my acute pancreatitis.

My triglycerides level was below 200 before I started taking Yasmin and by May this year when I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, my triglycerides was over 4,300!

After spending 3 weeks in hospital for pain control and being off food and water for a total of 2 weeks, I was able to go home and get on with my life. My doctor told me I should never take any form of birth control pills nor any kind of hormone. I stopped taking Yasmin since the day I was admitted.

If anyone knows of a lawsuit or a lawyer that is working on a case against Yasmin, please let me know.

HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS FROM YASMIN!
I am 21 and I have been on birth control pills for 4 years. I used to be on a generic low dose hormone birth control until i developed an ovarian cyst which the doctors told me was because of the low hormone. So now im on Yasmin and i have been on it for 2 months. So far i have gained 6 lbs ( i have weighed the same since 9th grade until now), and i eat healthy , my eating habits have not changed. I am also super moody , i feel depressed, can't sleep, constantly crying, me and my fiance are constantly fighting because of my mood swings. I also get horrible cramps during my period and i bleed about 11 days after i have just had my period. The side effects are awful and Im thinking about switching to Mirena because I cant handle this anymore. Hope my experience is helpful.

hi, please can someone help me :-(
I'm 17 and this is my first time on any pill, I was on mefenamic acid to deal with painful periods but had to stop after I used them incorrectly.
I started Yasmin 6 days ago, and since my period stopped I have had constant pain in the left side of my back, headaches, am very tired and constantly feel like I'm about to be sick.
Is this normal? My parents don't seem to understand how much it's affecting me and I can't keep missing school.

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

I am 18 years old and ive been taking Yasmin for about 2 years, and tonight i came across all of these stories of bad experiences.
after putting together the pieces, ive realized that im not crazy after all! i have had every symptom out there for this pill except high blood pressure and nausea.
i used to be 135 pounds before i got on this pill, and now i am 160 pounds.
i find myself crying all the time, im surprised my boyfriend can put up with it.
i have no energy, all i want to do is sleep. i get sharp pains behind my eyes that cause me to shift them to find a spot where it wont hurt. i have no sex drive at all. i constantly feel depressed and sometimes don't want to live. im so tired of feeling this way.
the only good thing that happened for me was that my skin had cleared up tremendously!
and now i want to just stop and quit this pill right now! im just afraid my acne will come back.
this pill should not be given to women, all of these stories show great reasons on why its harmful.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PILL!! ITS NOT WORTH IT.
im glad i found all this out before it was too late.
my boyfriend wants me to finish the rest of my pill pack but i just want to stop right now.
i don't know what to do.
if i continue taking this pill for the rest of the pack i will feel worse about it each day knowing its harming my body and life.
help.

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.

I started taking Yasmin a month or so before I got married. I didn't notice too many side effects at that time (probably because I was stressed about the wedding plans) but the two months following my wedding day were terrible. I couldn't figure out why I was so unhappy. It should have been the happiest time of my life. I had so much anxiety and depression, and my poor new husband had to deal with it all! The worst part of all was that in those two months, I gained 25 pounds for no reason at all. I have been off the pill for another 2 months and have tried desperately to get the weight off. It's not going anywhere. I feel terrible about my body now.

The anxiety, depression, and mood swings are gone though... I will never go on a birth control pill again... Especially Yasmin.

Sorry to hear about everyone. It truly makes you think you are going crazy!

After reading a lot of these comments I can say that I'M NOT CRAZY! Yasmin really was the cause of a lot of problems that I had. I switched from Ortho Tri Cyclin to Yasmin about two years ago because I wanted lighter periods. It took me almost that entire time to figure out why I was feeling so much different. I never had problems with spot bleeding on Ortho and Yasmin didn't change that. I did start having really bad headaches a few days before I would start my period. It also cause my hair to stop growing and become very thin. It took me forever to realize that my hair started to change about the time I changed my birth control. I have tried everything to get my hair to grow again! Nothing seems to help. I had acne in high school (around age 18) but after and up until about two years ago (age 21) my face has always been clear. After switching to Yasmin, now about two weeks before my period I break out, mostly around my jaw line ITS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL ALL OVER AGAIN. I also found that it has an effect on the face cleaner that I use. I have used proactive for the past 4-5 years out of habit and found that two weeks before my period my face has a horrible reaction to the cleanser. Its gets really red and irritated and it itches like crazy. That only lasts for a day or two tops but I never had that problem before. The worst part about Yasmin in my opinion, besides the hair loss, is that it turned me into a down right mean person. I treat my boyfriend like absolute crap, and for no good reason. I have no tolerance for anything, I snap at him constantly and I yell at him for everything. I met him about three years ago and he always asks me why I changed so much from when we met. I guess I figured it out! I'm getting off this stuff and thinking about switching to ortho tri cyclin LO, is that any better?

ENLARGED BREASTS: Yasmin turned me off to the birth control pill as it was the first one I tried. Within a week my breasts had gone from size C to D and were incredibly sore. I had trouble sleeping comfortably and doing sports. I experienced slight weight gain, but the breast soreness was the most unbearable. I also remember waking up in the middle of the night during the first week and thinking that they were still getting larger! In any case, I only used Yasmin for 3 months and switched to something lower. I have been off the pill completely for over a year and I am looking for suggestions for lower dose birth control. I welcome any helpful advice.

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.....how horrible to hear about your experiences, but I too am glad I found you and want to share my own experiences as well. Was using natural family planning for birth control and it was going great, then all of the sudden, started bleeding frequently and heavily, so my gyn put me on it to regulate the hormonal imbalance or possible endo and I have been a mess....people have noticed I'm really anxious and I am a pretty laid back person, I am irritable, depressed, cannot sleep, decreased sex drive, sore and stiff, and had several incidents of crushing pain in chest and numbness and tingling in my arms. The weight gain is horrible, I just got back from getting professional pictures done and itr was so evident that my face is so round and puffy and I cannot wear a lot of my clothing now. I have only been on it two months, but quit taking it a few days ago and am calling the doc tomorrow to get her advice. This pill is the worst birth control I have ever used-and I've tried several kinds......

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!

Wow! I think i have just solved my problem(s)...i am 33 yr old healthy level headed woman,only med taken was ortho-tricyclen.
I began taking YASMIN 06/08, felt o.k. til beginning of July/08 when i switched to OCELLA. I began to experience some strange symptoms. I had eye pain, nausea, blurred vision,vomiting. 08/08 began getting severe headaches which lasted all day. then the eye pain became more severe. ended up going to several medical doctors, put on antibiotics, cat scan, just got my blood checked yesterday for graves disease /thyroid and addisons disease! i was thinking tonight what is making me feel this way... it dawned on me that i had a change in birth control and that is when all these symptoms started to occur. I really believe this is the answer, i don't think i have any disorder/disease i believe this pill has some serious problems. i fear that we will soon hear that it is pulled from the market due to some disease/disorder inducing side effects! I can not believe i found this-probably saved my life or maybe prevented something horrible from happening to me. i just hope i don't have any lasting effects from it:( i am still awaiting my test results...

I suffered a stroke 2 months ago thanks to taking the Yasmin birth control!!! I also discovered I had a pulmonary embolism a week following the stroke! I am outraged! This must be taken off the market! please let me know , i'd love to take part in any class action lawsuit!! Im a 30 year old, healthy woman,i was not smoking, drinking, etc, and exercised frequently...

Hi ummmm im kinda new at this sort of thing.......have never taken any sort of birth control pills in my life well then again im only seventeen. Anyway....ive not seen my period since march.......and this is now September....but recently my doctor told me its a great possibility that i might have pcos and she wants to put me on Yasmin but after hearing all you guys criticize it........im not so sure if i should what should i do???!!!???

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'm 29 years old and just recently decided to get off the pill after about 3 years. I have taken MANY different kinds because I started having yeast infections every month and then I was given diflucan once a month for that, but I could never shake the migraines. I think I was taking it for about 8 months and my period was the same day every month and that was awesome. I was going to stop the pill last month, but decided to get the new generic version for another month. Even if Yasmin works for you be VERY CAUTIOUS about the new generic version. this came out July 1st and the generic name is Ocella. I took it for a week and had to get off of it because I broke out in hives and I've never had an allergy in my life. I wanted to stay on something thru the month so I didn't mess my cycle up, but making a trip to my family doctor because of it is not worth the hassle. I wish they could make the magic trick for no migraines with birth control pills so hopefully we can get pregnant soon and then I'll be getting my tubes tied and no more pills!! good luck ladies, but always ask your doctor for more options if something doesn't work for you.

I've never taken birth control. But my sister was on yaz and she died 1 month ago. She died of a huge blood clot in her lung. (pulmonary embolism) SO if you're on yaz please reconsider something else. I know they say that the most serious side effects are the least likely to happen. But they could still happen. No one is exempt from any of the side effects. My sister never thought she was going to die from Birth Control; but it happened to her and it could happen to any one. Try turning to God for a change. He is the GREAT PHYSICIAN.

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??

I have been on Yasmin for 4 years now and I only recently started to question if some of the things that I have been experiencing are related to this pill. After reading your comments here, I'm more convinced then ever! I am a relatively healthy 31 year right now but for over a year now I have had a terrible ongoing ache in the back of my right thigh, just above my knee. I went to a vein specialist who just wanted to inject me to reduce the vein and "hoped" that it would help resolve the pain. He said that I had reticular veins and that they can be painful but as I understand it, you can get pain in your deep veins, which can result in deep vein thrombosis and even pulmonary embolisms (very life threatening). I have also had terrible ongoing headaches that last me 3 days at least once per month. I've always suffered from migraines so I didn't necessarily connect these headaches to the pill. I have absolutely ZERO sex drive. It's like I have to force myself to do it and it fills me with anxiety to even "gear up" for it. I have vaginal dryness, which can be very frustrating during foreplay and painful during sex. I had previously always been pleased that Yasmin resolved my 10 + year battle with painful cystic back acne. I have beautiful, clear skin on my back since I started taking Yasmin. I have also experienced fairly normal periods (for me). I used to have debilitating cramps and periods so heavy that I would wear a tampon and double my pads (with wings) so that I could live through the first part of the day at work without completely breaking through and bleeding through my pants. They would last for 5 - 7 days but with the pill I have more normal periods, manageable cramps, minor bloating, and still a heavy flow but not nearly as bad as before. I have always had good cholesterol levels and low triglycerides until 4 years ago when I started the pill. Since then I have had 2 blood tests where my cholesterol has skyrocketed and my triglycerides are triple the "normal" range. I eat healthier now then ever before and I regularly exercise as well so I cannot explain my cholesterol change, nor can my doctor (after showing a food diary of mostly fruits, veggies, limited whole grains, lean meat and optimal water). He told me to "go on a low carb diet" and "stay away from "sugars". I can't explain it either, I am always thirsty. I drink almost a gallon of water a day. I have this constant craving for a beverage and dryness if I'm not consistently sipping on water. My eyes are always dry, so dry in fact that it makes me feel tired or like I just want to close them to give them a break. I just started using eye drops, which has helped. Also, I'm tired, very very tired. It's summer so my energy is better only because I force myself to go workout, which always makes me feel better. I must say though, all in all, I have some concerning symptoms that seem to be prevalent throughout the blog but I've also had some positive effects from Yasmin. My concerns and your comments however are enough to take myself off the pill (Yasmin and all others) to try and live with my natural hormones instead of the synthetic in the pill. I think the potential risks outweigh the rewards. Thank you all for sharing and helping me in my decision making process.

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 started taking Yasmin at the end of July due to abnormal bleeding of the uterus. At the time that I started the pill, I had been having a period for two weeks so I was relieved when it stopped. However, I have been extremely tired to the point where it is hard for me to keep my eyes open especially right after taking the pill. I have also had extreme tenderness in my breast to the point where I can not sleep on either side of my body. I have always had cramps but this time they lasted throughout my entire period, and they were the worst I have ever experienced.

My symptoms are not as bad as some of the ones you all have posted, but I want tot stop this pill before things get any worse. My doctor said it would also help me with my weight loss, but I'm too exhausted to even take initiative. I called my doctor to make an appointment so I can get my meds changed. Wish me luck.

In Oct. 2006 I too became one of Yasmin's victims. I ended up in ICU with multiple bilateral pulmonary embolism's. I spent a week in the hospital and a year on Coumadin/Lovenox. Even though I survived the PE's I continue to have nerve damage in the leg that was affected, along with lung problems as a result from the PE's. I was amazed when I searched the internet for information regarding PE's/DVT's how many were on Yasmin compared to any other birth control on the market.

hi im 23 yrs old i started yas 2 months ago and now im on my 3rd month...in the beginning it was just nausea and loss of appetite...after a while went away,everything was going good...just recently starting this 3rd month i started getting nausea again and now im getting weird feelings of confusion,crying because im worried about it and the feeling of not being able to think or anything,plus this weird feeling in my eyes...so i decided to call the doctor today after i calmed myself down.they told me to get off of it as soon as possible because these were signs of serious problems that Yasmin has.so today will be the last time i am on it or any birth control for that fact.really i do not believe in taking any medications for anything and i normally don't but my obgyn said to help get my period back and regulated i would have to go on birth control.no thanks.medications do nothing but contridict...while helping one part of your body,its destroying another.i hope i helped you.

I would become a complete wreck two weeks before my period. I started noticing that it would become worse and worse as i reached 27.. I would not be able to concentrate i would feel that the world was coming to an end, i hated everyone , i took time off of work to sleep in, i hated myself. This was two weeks before my period. the other two weeks I was a happy goal oriented positive person.
I contacted my aunt whos a premed student and asked her what was wrong with me. I knew it wasn't PMS because my symptoms were so overpowering. She told me that I probably had PMDD and to take YAZ (birth control) .
Its my third month on it and I can not begin to tell you how happy i am she recommended this pill to me. Only side effects I ve had have been a little bloating and back pain... all worth having my sanity back.

hi
i am on my 2nd month of Yasmin. the first period i had was awful really bad pains and a lot of bleed compared to my normal period. I had headaches, trouble sleeping, been anxious and thirsty. Now on my second month headaches have gone, now have increased trouble sleeping and im even more thirsty as for weight gain i haven't gained or lost.I am going to see how my next period goes, take its for month 3 and evaluate the situation from there.But i used to have spots and now have very clear skin.the sleep problems are usually waking up in night and not being able to get bak to sleep not usually to start with and go away with herbal nytol tabs. as for severe thirst i hope its going to stop. No problems in the bedroom or dryness down below.

I had been on Yasmin for a couple years then became pregnant. After the baby, my obgyn suggested taking Yaz b/c he said there were less side-effects. So, I began taking it and with in a few weeks time I had began fainting at work, good thing I am an R.N. in the E.R. and was having irregular heart rhythms. I was told I had very low Potassium and began taking K + supplements. Although, no one made the connection to the birth control. I kept telling different doctors that the only new change was that I had begun taking Yaz. They just kept saying I was stressed and my body was still adjusting from a very difficult pregnancy, which was true. So after resuming with Yaz I again started to feel lethargic, muscle spasms, headache and palpitations, I finally have an appointment with my ob and can't wait to switch pills!!!! Yaz is not what is cracked up to be........

Wow you are all a bunch of complainers who try and blame XYZ on Yasmin which probably have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the pills. I have bee diagnosed with PCOS and have been on hormone therapy since age 15, first zovia, which worked well enough but did not get rid of a lot of my symptoms, only lessened them somewhat, so now I am on yaz. My depression has completely subsided, I feel GREAT and only had some nausea which almost EVERYONE gets when taking a hormone therapy birth control pill. Trust me, if you are going to have SIDE EFFECTS it is not going to happen 4 YEARS LATER, please.... grow up and take responsibility for yourselves, rather than trying to blame a pill

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.

Yaz has completely destroyed my health. Before I started taking Yaz I had a blood test done and my doctor told me I was the healthiest patient he had. However about 10 months after I started taking Yaz I began having nausea, right shoulder pain and became very gassy. I went to the doctor and they told me I had gallstones which is a side affect of birth control. I took another blood test and had high triglycerides and high cholesterol levels. I did not have any of this until after I pill. I eat very healthy and am only 23 yrs old. Things have only gotten worse because now I have heart palpitations and low blood pressure (another side effect) that became so severe it sent me to the E.R. I feel like my heart is going to explode daily. I DO NOT recommend Yaz to anyone.

I am 28 years old and have always had terrible PMS, maybe could be considered PMDD, and I decided to try birth control pills for the first time in my life to help regulate it. My doctor prescribed Yasmin, and I took them for less than two weeks before I stopped. In that time, my face and back broke out in pimples worse than I've had in 15 years, I was so depressed, I saw the world differently. I cried uncontrollably when I listened to the news, I felt utterly helpless. I lost my sex drive completely, and saw my relationships in hopeless, negative terms. I had a sensation in my head that made me feel like banging it on the ground, and I understood what might make someone shoot themselves in the head - it was HORRIBLE! And scary, and I have never felt like that before. I bled a mysterious, odorless brown liquid the entire time. I've been off Yasmin for 2 weeks and still feel nauseous and tired but as soon as I stopped, felt instantly lifted and better. And it was expensive - it would have been sixty dollars a month. Of all my friends and family, only one said to stop taking it immediately, and I'm grateful to have listened to her. It's amazing that such a tiny little pill can have such a huge negative impact. The only thing I learned is synthetic hormones are bad for your body!!

I am 26, last December i was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was on yaz and doing pretty well for 7 months, no mood swings, normal sex drive, no weight gain. Then all of a sudden month 8 my period came 2 weeks late and didn't stop for 4 months! With in those 4 months i was given a ton of birth control to try and stop my bleeding. Yasmin was the last one. It took about a month but then my periods stopped and was normal after that. It has been a lot lighter. That has been the only good part. I still get severe menstrual cramps and every month i get more and more depressed. I have no desire to be with friends go to work or anything i love. I get the worst mood swings, sometimes i feel like i am going to walk away from my marriage, my great marriage! Literally i tur so dark and loose desire to work, clean , work-out...anything. Im very concerned this is because of this pill.

Im a 21 yr old girl and started taking YASMIN about 1.5yrs ago. At first i thought it was great.. But then it al started really bad Headaches, extremely angry with everything to the point when my bf of 6yrs dropped water on the bench he would get yelled at! (and that's not the person i am) and also my sex drive was at a point of braking up my relationship as i didnt even like the thought of him touching me and a bunch of other things.. so i came of it in NOV 07 and my periods came back to a regular time each month and was not any heaver then when they were on the pill. I got back to my happy self and things picked up i started enjoying having sex and things went so well we are not talking about marriage.
But after so many months not on it and using condoms we decided i should give ti another go. maybe it was me ? I have been back on it for 4 days and i feel back to the bitch i was before... i am so angry and feels like i have OCD because i want everything to be perfect and in order (even to the way i place objects) i have lost my sex drive which last week was great! im crying for no reason and feel just really depressed..
I have came off it last night but i think its going to take a bit to wean off of it. I will NEVER use it again!