Yasmin and depression

I was prescribed YASMIN about 2 weeks ago now after seeing my GP about low sex drive and depression. It was a shock to me that the doctor decided to change my pill to Yasmin. I was advised to finish my old pack of pills and not take the week break and to just move straight onto the Yasmin. Obviously I followed these instructions thinking things would improve but to my surprise things are still the same if not worse. The very first day I started my first Yasmin pill I suffered from hot flushes and felt sweaty for no reason. I am not a hot person. I also noticed that all I do is yawn all day long which is really weird. My period has not yet stopped since a week and half ago. After asking my sister what her experience was like on Yasmin she said it gave her bad spots and her friend that took it before suffered from severe side affects and did not get on with it at all. Just like to say this has done nothing for my sex drive, if anything its pursponed it even longer! I thought I'd look the side affects up for myself and have read enough to make me think about having the injection. Can't be bothered with pills anymore......at least you don't have to worry about periods with the injection!

Hi all i have been taking Yasmin for about 3 years now and am so glad i have now discovered this site. Initially Yasmin worked well for me but in the last 2 years or so i suffered the anxiety, panic attacks and depression(which i was then given Zoloft to treat) and decreasing eyesight and weight gain, diarrhea, bloating i never thought it could be related to Yasmin! i have tried to come off it but experienced the most terribly painful periods. i recently went to a naturopath and was given herb tablets(vitex agnus-catus)
to stabilize my hormones whilst coming off the pill. I urge other women to really think about the side effects before taking YASMIN and ask questions if you have any of these symptoms.i hope i get back to normality once ive stopped this pill and hope everyone else does too!

im 17 and started Yasmin when i was 14 maybe 15, it made me so sick, id start throwing up about 8 hours after taking the pill, and that would last for about 5 hours, (like having mild food poisoning). I got heart palpitations every minute or so for days on end, and unbearable depression. I was the happiest person until i started taking this pill, and its so bad that i couldn't enjoy my life properly. Now im tiny, like really really thin mums worried i have anorexia, and although my life is perfect (great friend, good grades, nice boyfriend), I cant enjoy any of it properly. I went off it about four months ago and my happiness returns now and then like it used to be three years ago, but my mind feels so fuzzy and sort of disorientated, and i cant seem to convince myself of things properly. I was wondering if these things get better and better or am i stuck like this???
plz help xxx

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 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?

I didn't even think to attribute my loss of sex drive, depression/feeling of helplessness & mood swings to Yasmin but everything I've been reading here are issues I have been dealing with the past 7 months that I did not have before taking Yasmin. I am & was not ever on any other kind of medication.

My symptoms are

Massive hair loss by the roots, which started about 2 years after going OFF the pill and hasn't stopped. Some hair still hasn't grown back yet.
Bloating with water retention (this is where the bigger boobs come into it).
Leg Cramps
Pins & Needles in legs and toes
Cold/numb spots on one leg
Can go without sex for long periods

However, the benefits are:
clear skin, no mood swings. No depression.

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.

I am so happy I read this site today. I started Yasmin about 6 months ago and heard from the doctors nothing except good things. I was on tricylcen 2 years prior but wanted to try something new because I found that I gain weight while i was on tricyclen so the doctor suggested Yasmin. It wasn't until I read this site that everything I am experiencing was due to Yasmin.

Probably the biggest side effect was the loss of my sex drive and depression. My sex drive was always high and then within 3 months it was completely gone and it really scared me that is was gone for good and I am only 26. I am so happy to know that this could be the reason because this was starting to put a real strain on my relationship with my boyfriend

I didn't know about it giving you larger boobs, but it makes sense now since I can't fit my bras anymore.

Does anyone has any suggestions of what to do next. Obviously I am going off it once I am done this month, but what pill would you suggest I take?

hi everyone, i hope youre all ok
i made the decision to come off Yasmin last Sunday as it was making me so unwell, and so depressed
but i haven't really felt that much better; i still feel constantly nauseous and my period that started when i was on Yasmin seems to never be ending
i also feel extremely depressed and not myself at all
does anyone know how much longer it will last? im guessing its just the hormones trying to get back to normal?

So far I haven't seen anything in regards to my symptoms with Yasmin.

After going the past two years and having only two periods, I was diagnosed with PCOS. My Gyno told me that the only way I would be able to have a period, and delay the harmful side effects of this disorder would be to go on Yasmin. I agree that my mood swings the 1st month were terrible. I almost punched my own mother in the face because I didn't like one of her jokes. That's not me. But that is something common with BC. They are hormones your body takes in to regulate your cycle. And because my body doesn't' regularly produce the hormones needed for menses, I expected mood swings. The catastrophic depression and PMS were the main reasons I stopped taking the pill years ago.

My problem is a bit different. I haven't gained weight. As a matter of fact, I think I've lost a bit. My problem is my skin. Before the pill, I had flawless skin. It was always really sensitive, but because I was cognizant of this fact, I took every preventative measure to ensure its healthy appearance. But now my skin in a mess. I have a rash spreading all over my body. My eyelids have a hard crushed rash of skin folding over, and my under-eyes are the same way. All across my face, I now have raised red patches of skin that burn, and the only change I've made to my daily care regimen is popping that little pill every night. The rash is now spreading to my shoulders and a bit on my legs.

Has anyone else developed skin problems, or could this all just be coincidental in my case?

I

1. Blood Pressure 180/120 resulting in an emergency room trip
2. Weight gain of 25 POUNDS! Most/all of which was water and came off within the first week of being off from Yasmin.
3. Bloating and extreme water retention. See # 2.
4. Severe leg muscle cramping and foot pain
5. A mental feeling of not caring and general fogginess
6. Complete loss of libido
7. Acid reflux (probably from the diuretic in Yasmin)
8. General weakness in my muscles (there were times that I could barely open a revolving door).

I was on Yasmin for a year. I have been off for one month. I am still on blood pressure meds, but they don't think the Yasmin is out of my system. Has anyone else gotten hypertension from Yasmin and if so, how long did you have to be on blood pressure meds?

Some of my symptoms are getting better after a month, and some are not. If anyone is reading this to decide whether or not to take Yasmin, please don't. You may not have any symptoms right away and you may think you feel great, but that is the scariest part. When symptoms come on gradually, you hardly notice them until you are in the hospital emergency room.

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.

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.

Im so happy I found this site, as I too thought I was alone in this. I really beg someone to tell me, oce they came off the pill, how long did it take for them to recover? and for their first period to come? I was on the pill for less than a year, and came off it in Feb 08. It's now Sept 08 and still have not had a single period since. My weight has been fluctuating ridiculously, and the mood swings have made me lose SO many friends its unbelievable. i don't have energy to do anything, ive it a total depression. Im begging someone to just tell me how long after they stopped did everything feel back to normal? im worrying as its been 6 months for me and still nothing!!

I took Yasmin for about two years, and never felt great on it. The first year, I was about 45 pounds heavier than the second, and the second, I started developing terrible side effects (depression, weepiness, paranoia, mood swings, general lethargy, extreme fatigue). I had the worst abdominal bloating (remember, all diuretics have a rebound effect) and most annoying, my nails started shredding and about 1/4 of my (lucky it was thick to begin with) hair fell out! Turns out Yasmin can affect the follicular cycle. THEN, my doctor pushed Yaz on me, though I expressly did not want to take it knowing it was simply a lower dose of Yasmin. She made me stick with it for four long, horrible months--it ruined my life!! It make me cry at the drop of a hat, practically suicidal, extremely moody, gave me TERRIBLE PMS like I hadn't had since I was 17 (I'm 33) and nausea, dizziness, and a spaced-out feeling. I became paranoid about all my friends, and have been jumping on my dear boyfriend for everything and overreacting to the slightest thing. From other stuff I have read, Yaz only works for people with terrible PMS already, or who have acne--I had neither. Whatever chemical is in this pill should be taken off the market--I am furious I was subjected to this, and horrified and so sorry to hear of the losses of loved ones above. Yas is terrible! I just finally switched to Loestrin, and am crossing my fingers. Yaz also gave me terrible bloating, gas and digestive problems.

Vitamin D deficiency. Severe.
Fatigue/Exhaustion
B12/Folic Acid deficiency-resulting chest pain
30 lb weight gain post Yasmin
Plugged ears/pressure
Elevated potassium
Depression
Total lack of interest in life
There is a wealth of information of fellow sufferers at Create a Forum, under health, medications if you type in Yasmin. Or google Yasmin Survivors. Its an international forum that has grown exponentially.

Does anyone know how long it takes for all the horrible side effects especially depression to go away after you stop taking it? The OBGYN says 2 weeks for hormones to be gone. Thanks for any help you can give me.

I have a 16 year old daughter that has always been extremely healthy, very out going, very happy and energetic...until YAZ! My daughter was put on Yaz for irregular periods, it was nice that it helped her (very) mild acne. The first couple of months were fine, but then she started having a lot of symptoms...hair falling out, heart palpitations, bloating, depression, anger, crying, down mood all the time, I have rarely seen her smile in months, leg/joint pain, anxiety/nervousness, I can see her shake a lot, wanting to be by herself (which is totally not like her at all.) This medicine has helped her acne and period cramps, but totally destroyed her personality and her happiness! Is it worth the price...absolute NOT! I AM TAKING MY DAUGHTER OFF YAZ TODAY!!! Honestly, I do fear what this medicine could do to her life if she is not taken off of it ASAP. How sad this medication is even available, much less being prescribed to 16 year old! I only wish I would have known about this before my daughter took this evil pill! I am so sorry for those of you that have gone through all of this as well.

Hi Guys

I am taking Yasmin since May 2006. I have been suffering from chronic daily headaches since March 2006 and wondered if Yasmin could be a factor in this? For my headaches I have tried so many different things and not been successful and hadn't looked at the possibility that Yasmin could be a problem until I started to google it. What do you guys think? Could Yasmin be adding to my problem of chronic daily headaches? Cos I have the headaches all the time.

Any responses would be greatly appreciated!

Regards
Warda

I've been on Yasmin for maybe 2 cycles, before I went to my doctor yesterday to see if I could stop it mid cycle.

side effects that I noticed (or had pointed out to me).
-severe mood swings, severe decrease in libido, general fatigue and depression, vaginal dryness, soreness, itchiness, it feels almost painfully tight?, my tits became monsters that increased at least a cup size that wanted to escape my shirt (my boyfriend appreciated this part, but they were very painful), general bloatiness/weight gain, binge eating (I normally don't have much of an appetite for anything, and forget to eat in between, school and work)

I'm a 30 year old woman and I've been taking Yasmin for 4 months now. I've been reading what people have been posting here and I'm wondering if I'm alone in having the following symptoms:
-severe breast pain for one day in the middle of my cycle, followed by mild breast pain until I get my period,
-painful cramps in the middle of my cycle,
-weird sharp internal vaginal pain, (sorry for the graphics, but especially during climax),
-acne problems,
-depression
The last two, I did see that people wrote about on here. I called my doctor today and I'm requesting a new pill. I thought that after a couple of months the symptoms would equalize, but after this last month, I decided I couldn't live with it. The breast pain especially has been very painful.

i'm a 21 year old girl, i've been on YASMIN for about 3/4 years, i have been through almost every pill you can think of. I was put on Yasmin because i had cysts on my ovaries, heavy bleeding and migraines.... ok in the beginning it was hunky dorry, but now its become really terrible. we have a heart condition in the family so last night talking to my dad explaining to him what i was feeling thought i was having a heart attack i had such bad heart palpitations, i had sharp shooting pains which felt like they were going through my heart, my chest closed up and i couldn't breath... my hair is falling out by the hand fulls, my moods are terrible my family doesn't even want to be around me, i'm paranoid i lost my boyfriend because i was so paranoid.... i have depression, i wake up every morning feeling nauseous, i have had the flu 23 times this year it has effected my immune system very badly. at least 3 times a month i have a migraine which keeps me in bed for about 3 days. out of all the pills i have ever tried this is the worst. i have never felt so rotten in my life i cant wait to come off after seeing all of your comments, i'm going to the gyne today. if i can help anyone PLEASE come off this pill it will cause more damage than anything else.

I am so glad i saw all these other comments or else I would have thought I was going crazy!! I decided this wk end to come off of Yasmin, i've had nothing but a rollercoaster of emotions for the last 5 months and I really didn't think it could be possible for it to be down to just one small pill!!

I know they say you have to try a lot of different pills but i think I'm put off now!!

The symptoms I had were weight gain about 10lbs, I was always hungry, mood swings like no other, crying for no reason, stressing, depression paranoia, dry skin and headache!!

The main reason I'm stopping it is just my mental state I was never the calmest person in the world but I found it impossible to control to control my emotions and temper. The paranoia was the worst. My personality completely changed!

I'm off it now for 4 days and hopefully I'll come back to normal!! I didn't feel right from the start but I decided to give it a few months to level out, now i wished I'd stopped back then!!

Oh! And Furthermore, Lest I forget to register MY formal COMPLAINTS about Yasmin...
i was a healthy 160 pounds when i started taking Yasmin 6 years ago (about) I now weigh about 218. 60 pounds in 6 years for me =( I attribute some of that to Yasmin...
also~ signature heart palpitations, depression, moodiness. exhaustion crept up on me over time, worrying about everything, being tired but not being able to sleep, (these all contributed to my lask of ability to exercise overly much....palpitations during exertion are very scary....
horrible overall experience. Just got off, going back to condoms as a 31
year old woman! (tells you how bad the pills are) Will never take ANY pills ever again in my life and really think these pills should be taken off the market. in this site alone you will find over 4000 threads on the topic of bad Yasmin side effects....google it and Im sure you will find tons more, Get off this pill if you value your heart and your hair! and spread the word.... I wish you all the best and pray this isn't something even worse than we realize, or that the damage is not irreparable. =(

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'm 21 and have been on Yasmin for 3 and a half months for bad acne. I was originally on Dianette but experience such severe side effects I honestly thought I'd be hospitalized, so I asked my doctor for Yasmin. All was fine for the first 2 months, but I'm now getting horrible pain in my right leg which won't go away no matter what, coupled with a pins and needles type feeling in my feet. I'm also developing spider veins on my legs, It's got to the point where I'm scared to look at my legs now in case any more have shown up! I've decided I'll come off it in a month or so, but don't know what to do to keep my acne at bay. Does anyone know of any natural remedies? I don't wanna keep messing around with drugs and hormones in case I cause long term damage!
Also, has anyone else gone to their doctor about these side effects, only to find the doctor says 'its nothing to do with the pill' when clearly it is! I saw 3 different doctors about my dianette problems, none of them believed it was down to the pill, but when I stopped taking it, my problems disappeared :/

I have depression and take medication for it, after taking Yasmin in combination with these drugs it was like i was not treating my depression at all. I became emotional, crying, I started to cut myself again, extremely tired, hopeless, I just felt horrible. My mother suggested It was the birth control and I came across this web page, thank you so much! it mentions briefly as a side effect but i was under the assumption it would be good for my PPMD, not make me worse
i also have god awful headaches

This contraceptive means that I will never go on the pill again. I was on Jasmine for a year, lost my boyfriend, lost a lot of weight through been sick every morning, and through depression. I didn't have sex for the entire time I was on it. Couldn't bare anyone touching me, including close friends just for a friendly hug. I was paranoid, had panic attacks and was in a constant state of nervousness. I cannot believe that this drug has not been taken off the market, that it is still recommended to people as the "wonder" contraceptive pill is completely baffaling.

I have been on birth control since I was 16 due to severe cramps during that time of the month. I have been on several different kinds. They placed me on Yasmin about 3 yrs ago. I thought that was the best one that I had ever been on until I went off of it. I have been off of Yasmin for about 2 1/2 months, since then I have developed anxiety, panic attacks, depression, with racing thoughts. I have contacted my OBGYN who said that this would not be a side effect. I have to say that everyone's body is different. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced any of these symptoms and if so how long will I feel like this?

Lately my wife has been experiencing of depression, lack of energy, muscle cramps, nausea, enlarged and soar breasts (nipples are hot also), headaches, insomnia, vaginal discomfort and sourness with and without physical contact, constipation, and other symptoms, which I cannot as a male, properly describe. Is this accumulation of symptoms normal or should we look in another direction for birth control (besides condoms)? A concerned husband, Kenny...

I cannot recall off the top of my head how long I've been on Yasmin, but its been at least 3 years. I feel very tired a lot of the time, and I have little to no energy, except for a few days before my period starts, then I feel great and happy go lucky. My brother died over 10 years ago, and I was using an anti-depressant, so I kept thinking my depression was from my grief of losing my brother. Now, reading some of these posts and other women's experiences with Yasmin, I'm starting to think maybe Yasmin is the cause of my depression. I'm usually an energetic person, and love to be outside and enjoy being around people. Most of the time now, I'd rather be sleeping or being by myself. Thanks, everyone, for your experience of using Yasmin. I think I have a valid reason for seeing my doctor, to get off of Yasmin. I am not in any relationship, and the only reason my doctor put me on Yasmin was to regulate my periods, though they are usually fairly light to normal, and always have been.

My daughter has been on Yasmin for a year and a half - it was prescribed for irregular periods and spotty skin. She is 15 and has had a year of nausea, leg cramps, hair loss, headaches, elevated heart rate,fatigue , irritation,angry outbursts ,dehydration severe moodiness and depression and lately- uncontrolled crying for no reason. She also sees black dots after exercising. She has gone from a happy girl who loved exercise to a grumpy couch potato! The doctor diagnosed it as a viral infection and suspected glandular fever - she missed a lot of school!
Today she had a day from hell - fought with a teacher and cried for hours. She also takes Ritalin as she is ADD- so I thought it was that - I decided to look up Yasmin and am so glad I did! What a great website! She has just taken a multivitamin and mag.phos - NO MORE YASMIN!!! Any advice on what she can use for her skin? and irregular periods?
A million thanks
Caron

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 first started taking birth control pills about a year ago, and my doctor started me on Yaz, I continued to have an increase in headaches, nausea, and break-through bleeding, so she eventually switched me to Yasmin. To be honest for the first six months or so that I was on it, I was great, my headaches that I normally got decreased, and I didn't have any real side effects other then the expected break through bleeding the first months after starting it. Now I feel awful, my headaches come back with such increased severity I can't think and any medication I take for it doesn't work, during random times of the day I get waves of depression for no reason, I go through episodes of extreme emotion and the thought of even being close to my boyfriend at times sickens me. I didn't take any other drugs that could have interacted with the pill or increased the side effects as I know some people have implied. But I've never felt so horrible before in my life and I'm only twenty years old, I'm trying to get off the pill and find a different one, has anyone gotten off Yasmin and found a better alternative?

After trying two other birth control pills and the patch, I was put on Yasmin three years ago, because my doctor said it wouldn't give me mood swings.
Lately I've been having really bad anxiety attacks and depression. I've noticed a change for the worst in my moods while I've been on Yasmin, but I kind of ignored it because I hate condoms and don't want to get pregnant.
But I'm going to stop taking it because if there's a chance my anxiety will go away, it's definitely worth it.
If Yasmin is the cause of my panic attacks (and it seems like it might be), I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

Hello: I am so sorry that all of us are suffering since taking this pill. My experience with Yasmin was brutal and 3 years later I know am told that I have developed b12 deficiency or a very serious, but treatable condition called pernicious anemia. I never had it before then pill. I took Yasmin for only 5 months and felt sick the whole time. Headaches, strange moods, even a popping sound in my head some times, bizarre symptoms. I called my OBGYN and told he I was stopping. She said the pill did not cause this, but if I felt it was related to stop. AND IT WAS! She now admits to feeling bad for this. She did not mean it. Doctors only know what they read from the literature of a drug. I stopped taking it and was in the hospital within three days. I was in shock. Night sweats, tingling skin, no energy, stomach problems of every kind. Severe pain in my left ovary, suicidal depression and on and on. The worst part is that I began to get sicker and sicker. 3 years later of still being sick. The only thing that has helped my system is acupuncture and a serious diet change to aid my system, I find out that I have a serious b12 deficiency, which I never had. They call it an autoimmune disease which impedes you from processing b12 and all this starts in the tummy! I lost a baby during this time while pregnant, now we know it was this! The Yasmin pill has been pulled off the social medicine of some European countries due to such severe side effects. Their is a girl on this blog getting names together to start a class action suit. I am in. No one can get me my three years of suffering back, or my lost baby or my lost work. I am a professional flamenco dancer and let me tell you it is not easy to perform with a serious b12 deficiency which affects nerve endings, heart tissue and neurology! And the cure for this is b12 injections for life! If you want me to forward your name to the girl with the attorney you can write me at:****** Well I am going to keep trying to be well. I am young and have a whole life ahead of me.

These reviews are pretty scary to me ... I've been taking Yasmin for about 5 years. Late last year, I started getting what seemed like a full period (not just spotting) almost exactly two weeks into my pill pack. Then I'd get another full period when I got to the end of the pack, and I went ahead and took the sugar pills because I didn't want to mess around with my cycle (which I've done in the past, with negative results). My doc switched me to reclipsen for a month (which I've read bad things about too, but not as bad as Yasmin!). I've had NO sex drive for years now, which I've blamed on myself, but it's really affected my relationship w/ my fiance. It's hard because I just can't get excited. I loved Yasmin and recommended it to all my friends because it kept my water weight down. Last month when I went off of it, I gained about 8lb in just a few weeks. I attributed it to going on vacation and not exercising for a week (I normally eat very well and never miss a workout). But since then, the weight has stayed and is very slowly coming off. I'm a personal trainer and I never usually struggle like this. I've also been bloated and it seems like I have an excessive amount of abdominal bloating.
Anyway, after a month on reclipsen, I decided to switch back to Yasmin to see if the month on another drug "tricked" my cycle back into following Yasmin (wishful thinking!). Sure enough, got my period two weeks in. Also got lots of bloating, constipation (never normally a problem for me), and moodiness/ depression. I've had "stomach issues" for years, and I've even had a colonoscopy with no real diagnosis. My abdomen is always tender to the touch. I never would've thought Yasmin could be a cause, but now I really wonder. Also, in the last couple weeks that I took Yasmin again, I noticed days where it felt hard to breathe, and I just blamed myself and my weight, figuring it was the few extra things I ate that made me bloat. But now reading other experiences, I realize how unusual my recent experiences are for me. Now I'm not sure what to do -- I don't think reclipsen is a good answer. I want to go off pills completely for a while, but I'm really afraid of weight gain (Yasmin is addictive that way -- I love how it's kept my water weight down and I've been afraid to go off of it). Fortunately, I haven't had the blood clotting (to my knowledge) or acne. But I do have overuse injuries that never seem to heal -- now I wonder how much those relate to Yasmin. I won't be taking it anymore!

I don't have a side effect to report, but I have spent the past 3 hours reading all of your responses. Over all they are 95% negative. The only thing I am wondering, is WHY you chose Yasmin to begin with.

I have been thinking about taking Yaz to help with my severe PMDD. If you don't know what that is, basically it's like the moodiness side of PMS times 10. I am euphorically happy normally, lol, kind of like how happy a cocker spaniel is when their family gets home... except I don't piddle on the floor. About 5 days before my period starts I go into a very deep depression, I bloat, I am irritable, and my entire life suffers. I cry (wail is more like it) for absolutely NO reason... blah blah blah. But once I am about 2 or 3 days into my cycle it all passes and I am back to chipper me.

Long story short, I heard Yaz is supposed to be amazing to help stabilize people like me. How many of you started Yaz just as birth control, or as an acne control? How many of you took it for PMDD and it STILL didn't help?

I've been on Yasmin for four months. With all of the side affects from Yasmin it is the only pill that makes me feel somewhat normal. Just to name a couple I've been on Levlen, Tricyclen and they all caused major infections, depression and mood swings. I am only on the pill because I have a cyst on my ovary and the doctors will not operate because it is not big enough to remove but big enough to cause a lot of discomfort. Every month when I start Yasmin the first couple of days I am very moody and then I am okay until the week before my period thats when i am depressed and grouchy. Now I've started losing my hair, not cool. I'm sure it's Yasmin because i am not on any other medications and I take really good care of my hair. I just hoping it will pass.

Apart from the mood swings and terrible irritability (which I have experienced with most contraceptive pills I have tried) Yasmin gave me uncontrollable, incurable THRUSH. It first started about three months after starting Yasmin and I had it for 8 months straight until I went off Yasmin. Within weeks the thrush subsided. It was HELL. I was at the doctor every month, using creams, taking oral anti fungals. But within a week of ceasing treatment, I would get that dry, irritated feeling for a day followed by the itch and every other depressing symptom of thrush. Each time I would be in tears. I was swabbed for EVERY STD imaginable just in case, but (thankfully) all clear. It was horrendous and I am disappointed that neither my GP or Gyno could identify Yasmin as the problem. I also asked my Gyno if Yasmin could be causing the depression I was experiencing and he said not likely that it was probably some other underlying issue which baffled me as I have a wonderful life in all aspects. I have just started using the NuvaRing after not being on hormonal contraceptives for over 3 years. I am about to rip that out too! I cannot use hormonal contraceptives, not if I, and the people around me want to live a happy and harmonious life. Poor husband will have to wear the trusty old condom until we've had all our kids and he goes in for the snip!

hi guys. Im 18 years old and I started taking Yasmin about 3 and a half months ago .. i think. Anyways, I got on the pill because my boyfriend and I really wanted to take our relationship farther. It went farther alright ... We have always been so considerate of each other and so loving. He still was, I was horrible. Yasmin has caused me to be in such horrid conditions. I was /am (im in the middle of coming off of it right now) so irritable and depression was overcoming me. I was/am so snappy and completely not me. He even asked me where Chasity went (thats my name). Everything was hurting my feelings and I was crying about everything and I thought/think my life is falling apart. I have also been very suicidal during my trial with Yasmin. My calfs hurt really bad also, mainly my left one. I'm not sure if its caused my back to hurt simply because I have an overwhelming job in which I have to lift a lot. Also I noticed here recently right before I was coming off Yasmin that I was getting some horrible migraines, and I have never had problems with headaches or migraines in all my life. I'm simply just not a complainer. I know stomach pains are sometimes symptoms of Yasmin but I cant really recall any of those. Being on Yasmin I just took everything to the extreme and thought everything was falling apart, i even lost hope on all ambitions. Needless to say, Yasmin and I aren't together anymore, lo0ol. If you need to talk to me any farther about this medication please feel free to contact me at ***

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.

I am 20 yrs old, very healthy and never had a problem until 6 months after being on Yasmin. I never linked being on this BC and my side effects but I have been off of Yasmin for one month and seeing results. My side effects are subsiding, still have some relapses but nothing compared to what I went through. My side effects were nausea, lethary, weakness, irregular periods, chest pains, irregular breathing, weird heart palpitations, and Panic attacks, and depression. I have never been an anxious or depressed person so those last ones really threw me off. Now being off of it, I am returning to normal, still not completely normal which sucks, cause I was full of energy and a happy person. I really hope that I can be normal again and hope all this gets out of my system.

Oh my god, I googled 'Yasmin depression' and was so shocked by the results! I too have been feeling terrible since I started taking Yasmin 5 months ago, and just thought I'd check to see if there was a link... I am amazed and kinda relieved to see that you girls have all been going through the same things as me!
I'm going to stop taking it tomorrow and will report back in a few months!

I had been on Yasmin for about a year, then switched to Loestrin, and then back to Yasmin the past 3 months. I've never felt more anxious, depressed and suicidal. Not to mention the cramps are just as bad as they were before. I have never had problems before with anxiety attacks or depression but the past 3 months I have just not felt like myself. I stress over the dumbest things and work myself up into a frenzy over things I should not even worry about. Went to my dr. today and my nurse agreed with me and said she had the same side effects when she was on Yasmin. I am not off it as of this morning and will be starting a new birth control pill. She also now has me looking into anti anxiety meds

I started taking Yasmine in 2005 and almost imeemdiatley I started to have severe anxiety, depression, no sex drive at all and worse of all extremely bad migranes especially a few days before getting my period and during. My life had to be put on hold when I had my period because of the migranes. I stopped taking the Yasmine 3 weeks ago because I just couldn't take the migranes anymore. I have noticed I have gained some weight, my skin and hair feels alot oilier, and my hair has been falling out more than usual which is kind of freaking me out, don't have mood swings. My sex drive has gotten better which is a relief. I still don't know if my migranes will have gone away during my period. I'm just curious can anyone tell me if these side effects (hair loss, weight gain, oily skin) will go away after a few months.
When I went off another type of pill I actually lost weight, why is this one different?

Well, I'll share my story with you, and feel free to comment or ask any questions. I had been taking Yasmin for about 3 years. For the majority that time, I was in college (UCLA) while my long term boyfriend and family were back in the Bay Area. I was extremely depressed, which I presumed to be because I missed my boyfriend, and school was very difficult, etc. However, I had terrible anxiety, to where whenever I went to class, walked the campus, etc, I would have trouble looking up, for fear of making eye contact with others. To ask a question in class made my heart race. I would get terrible lumps in my throat that I could not get rid of. I used to be really outgoing, friends with everyone. But at UCLA for two years, I barely made new friends (maybe 3-5), blaming it on being too busy with my studies. Pretty extreme anxiety. As a child, I was a gymnast and suffered from OCD at one point, probably due to the anxieties of a very strict, mature schedule at such a young age. I guess I've been anxious in some way or another during my whole life, however I feel it was WAY worse during the course of being on Yasmin. I have also suffered from depression in my life, but the worst times were during high school, and during the past few years while on Yasmin. I am not saying I blame Yasmin for these things, but I definitely think it made them worse. I also have been having terrible mood swings, crying spells (to where I felt like I was going crazy), and not feeling like “myself”. I did take a break from the pill after I broke up with my boyfriend, and felt WONDERUL, woke up in a great mood, ready to take on the day, instead of forcing myself to try to start the day happy (which rarely worked). It has been a CHORE to be happy and grateful for my wonderful life (family, friends, good job, own apt., dog) for the past few years.

I stopped taking Yasmin 3 days ago (Sunday the 13th was my first day off of it) and already feel more normal, balanced and myself. Happy, hopeful, more relaxed. Of course this could be “placebo effects”, but I now myself really well, am very in tune with my emotions, etc., and I definitely feel different. I am not rhuminating either, which was another effect.

Does anyone have a similar story? Thanks! -Cassie