Yasmin and dizziness

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

I was put on birth control when I was 21 years old and I started with Estrostep FE for irregular and very painful periods. 9 years later, after complaining of unusually light periods and horrible hot flashes I was switched to Yasmin to see if that would make a difference. I was fine with the Yasmin for about 6 months but then I came down with what I thought might have been a stomach virus. I was fine until June of that year when I came down with what seemed to be another stomach virus. I found this odd as I had not had a stomach virus since I was eight years old, but I seemed to have contracted two within six months of each other 22 years later. By the time July hit, I was experiencing these "stomach viruses" just about every other day. I would have horrible acid indigestion and the sensation of needing to vomit (but I never would) which would send me running for the bathroom for hours at a time just in case I did. For over a year I sought the advice of doctors and had been theoretically diagnosed with the following: stress (always the first one), acid reflux disease, IBS, and gastroparesis. I have gone through an endoscopy, gastric emptying scan, colonoscopy, two ultrasounds, two CT scans and an MRI. Drug wise I have been put on Prevacid, Compazine, Zofran, Zegerid, Imipramine, Reglan, Levsid, and Erythromycin. I now am buried in medical bills and the whole thing has caused me to miss a month of work without pay. I also was struggling to eat and, at one point, had dropped 25 pounds which is very frightening for someone with my tiny frame. The mental anguish was unbearable and I was actually at the point of welcoming a diagnosis of cancer just because it would have been answer. The idea to stop taking the Yasmin actually came from a fifteen minute conversation during a birthday party with an obstetrician. Within two weeks of stopping I was absolutely fine. I gained all of the weight back in record time and am once again a person who rarely ever needs stomach aids (in three months I've only taken two tums). Stopping the Yasmin made absolute sense because the nausea episodes would only occur between 9am and 2pm (weird, just like morning sickness) and my thyroid levels were all over the place. One blood test would show them as normal and another would show them as sky-high. I questioned my ob-gyn why she said my blood tests were normal when my thyroid levels were actually twice the normal level. She merely shrugged it off as being "normal because of the Yasmin". No wonder I never felt well! I've been off Yasmin for three months now. I've only gotten one light period that lasted for three days. It was over a month ago and it took almost two months to happen after stopping the Yasmin. I don't know if I'm sterile because I have heard cases of girls becoming infertile after long-term use of the pill (any kind). I am definitely interested in joining a class action lawsuit because I don't feel I should be the one stuck with all of these bills. Has anything been officially started yet?

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.

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!

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.

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 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

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 was put on Yasmin for perimenopausal symptoms. I took it for three years. For the first two I had no issues at all. Then I began having intense anxiety/panic issues, dizziness and worsening migraine headaches. My doctor advised me to get off of the pill due to a chance of stroke related to the migraines. Since then the anxiety has greatly improved but I am gaining weight like crazy even though I'm eating less. For the first four months after stopping the pill my migraines were horrible and occurred about half of the month. Now its starting to level off as my own hormones start kicking in. I am having my adrenals tested as my doctor feels there is an issue there but no direct link to Yazmin to this. I know the weight gain is related to me going off the pill. I wouldn't recommend this pill to anyone.

Hello all Yasmin Survivors.
I stopped taking Yasmin in July 2005 and three years on I am still re-building my life! I feel this pill and its side-effect stole some of my best years, I am 33.
My main side effects were extreme anxiety, agoraphobia, pounding heart, panic attacks, fear of doing anything (even going 10 minutes away from my own home). I was on it for 12 months and the side-effects started very gradually at about 5-6 months, I barely noticed them creeping up on me. It took me another 6 months of taking it to start to question whether Yasmin could be causing the extreme change in my personality. I think if I hadn't stopped I'd have had a major breakdown. I had lots of weird physical symptoms too including, bloating, passing urine all the time, leg cramps, dizziness, hair loss.
Anyway, all the extreme anxiety and stress caused by Yasmin left me with exhausted adrenal glands - which I'm now trying to re-build. Anyone feeling fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, inability to handle stress in the same way as you used to, PMS several months after stopping Yasmin should look into Adrenal Fatigue as a possible cause of their symptoms. It's hard to treat and can take a long time to recover - but there are lots of things you can do to help your body re-build. Visit ******(doctor Andrew W. website on Adrenal Fatigue) as a start to find out more about the condition and how to find out whether you are suffering from it.
It would be good to hear from more people re-building their lives after the impact of taking Yasmin on this site. Also, is anyone out there trying to put together a class action?
Sarah

Hi! I can't believe this all....I am reading your stories... I am on YASMIN for 14 days. I have two little children and I choose birth control again after almost 5 years. So I thought all my side effects are because my body needs a chance to get use to IT and I am over reacting, etc... Well NO, I am NOT!!!
Headache, mood swings, itchy skin, breast tenderness, got my period 4th day after my first pill (my doctor said it's the "breakthrough period") dizziness and feeling very nervous and sad, etc.....
My doctor said to stay on it, that my body will adjust to it...well, I am NOT!!! My body it totally resisting IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But now, I am stuck with 4 month worse supply....any idea where to sell it?
thank you

Anybody concerned about their pill symptoms, look up CANDIDA. It is related to so many symptoms and my latest thoughts are, The pill causes candida and candida causes the symptoms. This means your body may not go back in check after stopping the pill.

I have had
Mood "problems" we'll call them,
headaches mostly as a soreness in my temples,
Dizziness,
Sore feet,
Random cramps in legs,
Flu like aches and pains,
Chemical sensitivity,
Fatigue,
Stomach problems
Decreasing ability to concentrate,
Severe and sudden beer intolerance, meaning taking only 2 beers to get a wicked hangover,
Sudden noise and light sensitivity,

To keep it kinda short here, I just kept telling my doctors, I feel like I'm getting old. I'm 27! I think this pill gave me a great breeding ground for candida and candida did the rest. Look it up!

Heart palpitations, dizziness, migraines, fatigue, no sex drive, weight gain, panic attacks. Saw cardiologist was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse however i don't think the doctor ever saw this on my echocardiogram. All of these symptoms appeared after being on yaz for over a year. I am stopping Yaz at the end of this pill pack..any idea how long it will take to get back to normal?

Both my 19 year old daughter and my 30 year old step daughter were put on Yasmin. Both began having heart problems. The eldest had heart palpitations, a racing heart and dizziness. The doctor discovered that her potassium level had shot up and her magnesium was down. They put her on magnesium to help control the racing heart. It helped, but then she became pregnant and had to lower the dose. The 19 year old has had the worst side effects. She was fine on ortho tricyclene, but when her doctor switched her to Yasmin her blood pressure shot up to 170/118. She began having chest pain. We pulled her off the Yasmin, but she has continued to have uncontrollably high blood pressure. The doctor ran several tests and has found no underlying cause as of this writing. She began taking 5 mg. of Norvasc, but was increased to 10 mg. to manage the high blood pressure.

Hi ladies... I'm not surprised that you folks comprise most of the posting population considering the fact that this drug is prescribed to you. Well I'm quite interested in this drug and I do prescribe it to my patients however I am surprised at the magnitude of side effects listed here. I am based here in south-east Asia and I do prescribe Yasmin to my patients and I rarely here of these side effects. Perhaps this can be contributed to the fact that it (Yasmin) is available here under a different brand name however consists of the same chemical position. I am interested in the ones available in the U.S. Does anyone know how I may go about purchasing them. You can contact me personally on ****** thank you.

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

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

Here's my story, and if anyone has any thoughts of which pill to try next, I'd love to hear them.
A while ago, I had been on Orthocyclen for several years, which worked great for me, but stopped taking the pill back in late 2005 when my long-term relationship ended. I just wanted to give my body a break, you know? I went back on a different pill, Loestrin 24-FE, the middle of 2006, because my doctor wanted me to try something low-dosage, and as a result I had lots of problems with spotting and readjusting to a new pill. Loestrin continued to piss me off with the spotting, which was the only real side effect, but my doctor wanted me to keep with it to see if it lessened. It never did. So in August of 2007, per my doctor's suggestion, I changed to Femcon (great name for a lady vitamin - it sounds like the name of a Transformer), and around this time started to notice some mild dizziness.
I'm in great shape and very healthy and active. Last summer I even ran a half marathon, and about a week later the dizziness started. At this point I didn't even consider that the dizziness could be related to the new pill.
The dizziness was steady, and I was starting to have some problems focusing on my computer monitor at work, so I finally saw my primary care physician, who referred me to a neurologist. He did some minor tests with me, and based on the results, told me he thought I was getting migraines. I've never had migraines before in my life, so this was all new to me. And it was interesting because I didn't really get headaches, just dizziness and lightheadedness and some blurred or jumpy vision. It definitely starting freaking me out, and even impacted my running because I didn't know if I'd lose my balance (I never did, but still) when out for a run. I'm 31 years old, by the way. The neurologist finally suggested the link between the dizziness and the pill, and suggested I try something even lower dosage. So I switched to Yaz.
I'm in my second month of it, and trying to power through to finish the pill pack just so I don't mess up my period too much, and I am a disaster. I should also mention I've had some major life changes as of late, moving to a new city, new job, and newly living with my boyfriend, so I'm sure this plays a part. But I have been an absolute train wreck since I started Yaz. The dizziness has gotten far worse, making me feel like I'm in a fog, sort of detached, hard to focus. Been awful to my boyfriend, when only weeks ago we were SO EXCITED to finally be living together and having this crazy adventure together. He asks me now why we can't just be happy. I get annoyed so easily, have had massive mood swings, and several panic attacks. Everything you all are describing - heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, insomnia. All the things I used to love to do, especially going out and exploring and being social (I just moved to NYC for god's sake!!!) are daunting and almost terrifying, and all I want to do is lay on the couch at home and hope the dizziness subsides. I was seriously contemplating psychological therapy, and my boyfriend was trying to get me to try yoga, but how could I possibly even do the poses when I can barely balance myself?? The only time I feel remotely normal is when I force myself to go for a run and just try to power through the light headedness.
I am finishing up the pack on Friday even though I should take it through the middle of next week, and I'm going to give myself a couple months off and go back to sucky condoms just to try and clear my head. Then I'm going to see if my doc will put me back on Orthocyclen.
Has anyone else experienced dizziness or light headedness on these pills? Have you found a pill that works for you?
Any suggestions on which birth control pill (or method) I should try next? I'm so tired of putting hormones in my body, but I'm not ready for kids yet and really hate condoms. I was looking into the ring but I hear that's just as bad. Sigh. If only they could do temporary vasectomies.

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

I have been on Yasmin for 2-3 years now for endometriosis. It was great as it helped with the severe cramping, and cleared up my skin. I never paid much to the series of changes to my body months to follow, till it got worse. Within the past 2-3 years, I've had countless exams literally from head to toe -- bloodwork, MRI, X-Rays, CT-Scans, Ultra-Sounds, and other lab work. All of which, despite slight irregulars through bloodwork on liver count, thyroid, lymph, and raised cholesterol, were normal. It got to a point where my family doctor thinks I need to see a psychologist. I considered my self a pretty healthy and happy individual. I know I was not imagining these aches and pains.
About 1 year into taking the pill, I noticed numbing in my legs, severe headaches, dizziness, and trouble falling asleep. I even discussed it to my gyno, who quickly brushed off any relation between these symptoms and the pill. I figured, it might have be induced from stress at work and thought no further of it. I also discussed it with my family, who also dismissed the idea.

I started losing a lot of hair and started getting more emotional, with frequent/extreme mood swings. I also started crying a lot, which was never the case before. I was never so emotional. The pill does not even help with clearing my acne anymore. I also had bloating, frequent urinating, tender/painful breasts, chronic cough, frequent throat infections, nausea, fatigue, back pain, heart palpitations, chest pain and pressure, and chronic abdominal pain. The chest pain and abdominal pain landed me in the ER today. And of course, all test results were "normal".

It's worth getting off this thing, at least to see if Yasmin is the cause. If this little pill is the case of all of our pain and suffering, instead of helping like it should -- the product should really be pulled of the market, along with a class action against the manufacturer.

I feel very lucky to have found this site, that there are others who are going through the same thing and can understand I am not insane for thinking the pill is the cause. I'll have to come back to post the progress.

I have been taking Yasmin for 2 months and suffer the following symptoms for the last 7 weeks, lack of balance and co ordination, problems walking which consist of shaking wobbly legs its like they are made from jelly , shortness of breath, palpitations, panic attacks, clumsiness, stomach cramp, constipation, diarrhea, clots whilst not menstruating, headache, blurred vision, dizziness, seeing spots, light headed, aching muscles, fluid retention, swollen hands and feet, abdominal pain, lack of period, mood swings, nausea, lack of appetite, sore breasts, bloatedness, tiredness, insomnia, pais in my chest, has any one else got these symptoms?

well it makes me feel like utter s*** bin on it for two weeks felt great then wouldn't feed it to a dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've now come off Yasmin after taking it for around three years. For the first year or so I didn't have any side effects but over the last year I've been feeling pretty bad. I had no idea it was my pill causing my symptoms and actually thought I might have ME or some other illness. I'd been experiencing dreadful fatigue, headaches, occasional dizziness, increased anxiety and an 'out of it' feeling as though I'd been drugged. Since coming of the pill I feel so much better and have loads more energy. For the first time in ages I actually want to do exercise! I would recommend anyone with similar symptoms to come off the pill and see if it makes a difference. It's such a relief to know I wasn't going mad after all!

I was given this pill as all the others I have tried caused me to feel suicidal and very angry so I start on this pill and feel great no symptoms for about 2 months it gets rid of my spots and bad p.m.t but all of a sudden I start to feel run down and have headaches this then becomes sinusitis I think I'm over the worst and iv just had a virus but not long after the palpations begin and I panic they get worse and they become very fast and I don't even want to get up as it sets my heart to race it is noticeable even when still and I went to a&e one night even had an ambulance out as I thought I was dieing it was so fast, but the medics couldnt find nothing wrong I had thyroid tests at g.ps and then it was said I should go on anti depressants which seemed to work a little but I was very ill four a good 4 months I mean I was in turmoil I didn't know what was wrong with me I felt like I couldest breath I was dizzy all time I had the worst ringing in my ears all the time (very hard to sleep with this) but slowly started to feel better, but I couldnt stand the repeat attacks of sinusitis and my ears are always blocked I have stopped taking Yasmin a few days a go and I hope I start to feel better soon but I am very angry that this is going un heard by our medical pros as its there job to learn about these things, I hope we all get over this and get this drug banned.

I started taking Yasmin august 07-took it for 3 weeks, 2nd week I felt pressure on my chest, 3rd week there was this day I started feeling pressure on my chest and bad palpitations, I got a little worried and they told me I was having a panic attack, it took 20 minutes for me to calm down. I stopped taking Yasmin that day and have continued to feel sick since. Symptoms since Yasmin have been:severe nervousness, shivering, racing heart especially with activity, chest pressure, pain by me heart, huge decrease in appetite, panic, thoughts I will die, body aches, headaches, slight dizziness sometimes. I've been to ER twice I've also had 2 d-dimer tests positive but no blood clot in my chest or legs and been to doctor about 7 times-she just sent me to psychiatry even though she knows I say the pill caused it. I also have an appt with cardiology tomorrow- and I'm sure they will tell me its in my head as well-its been 5 months I wonder how long my sickness will last.

I am so glad I found this website. I am on my 2nd month of Yasmin. Last month was great. This month I have experienced dizziness, being extremely tired, spotting, painful sex, no sex drive. I started taking it because my doctor recommended it for mood swings. The mood swings are still there, just not as bad. The dizziness makes me want to lay down all the time. My breasts are also very tender. I'm calling my doctor to switch my pills back to what I took for the last 7 years.

I am a healthy 33 year old female with PMDD. I was recommended to switch to YAZ from my other birth control because I didn't want to take antidepressants. Within 24 hours of taking my first pill, I had every symptom of a heart attack and severe dizziness. I landed in the cardiac unit for five days and had every test including heart cath. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health on my heart, but, told me to immediately stop the YAZ. I had contacted Bayer, they told me that it takes awhile to get into your system and to follow through with the pack. (the doctor said it is only the contraceptive part that takes that long in the system) the medicine is absorbed immediately. If I had kept taking YAZ, I don't know where I would be right now.

I took Yasmin for about 8 months until I realized it was the cause of severe migraine headaches, nausea, dizziness, and other terrible side effects. I also had terrible lethargy as well as lack of libido. It is awful and now I realize how many women are experiencing the same problem. My Dr. took me off of it and all of the terrible side effects have gone away.

(SIGH) well, with great relief i can say i'm not alone in the war against BC pills and side effects. the weirdest things started happening to me when i began taking yasmin - the 1st night i got my period after taking it i has THE WORST period pain EVER!!! so bad that i popped a mersyndol and no lie, within 30mins my sister was driving me to the emergency ward - i literally thought i was dieing. Anyway, turns out i had a MONSTER of an anxiety attack and a (viral) ear infection at the same time... GREAT!

at the time i had no idea what was causing my 'so called' spazo attacks - i just thought i had some horrid ear virus which would last a couple of months and clear up (the docs agreed). when it didn't start clearing up i started seeing docs on a regular basis, paying thousands for all sorts of tests even did the whole allergy testing thing thinking i'm seriously intolerant to something but to no avail... 4 years later and i'm still struggling with the following symptoms: dizziness (and i mean ALL the time), it's more like being lightheaded not so much dizzy spells, nausea, bloating, sore throat, tired/no motivation, weight gain 8 kgs in 3-4 yrs, i'm 29 (female) so i guess my body thinks it about to have babies... pressure headaches, ear ringing, my sex drive has packed up and left town, blah blah blah, i could go on... anyway, last month i went off yasmin (only cos i ran out) and spent 4 weeks al'natural. i got my period only a couple of days last and last sun i went back to the doc for gen exam and thought while i'm here i'll get a script for yasmin again... took my 1st pill on mon just gone - i can't tell you how rotten i've felt this week, i just thought it's prob pms or something no joke, everything has come back new and improved - now the dizziness is worse 10 fold, the bloating horrid... i've had a headache for 3-4 days now, constantly running to the loo. i feel like a TOTAL wreck!!! my husband thinks it's just women's stuff... pfffffft!!! he noticed i've been edgy all week and keeps asking 'what's up with you' and me thinking it's pms or something kept saying 'nothing honey' - well thanks to everyone who posted here i now know better!

oh, forgot to mention, after having my HUGE panic attack, the doc prescribed by 5mgs of lexapro daily and i've been taking that for almost 3 yrs - not sure if that's even good for my poor body...? helps with anxiety but purely masks the symptoms, hasn't cleared up - even the psychologist gave up cos she couldn't work out what was causing the anxiety... PFFFFT doctors... honestly!

good luck to everyone and head up guys, i know it's a painful process but eliminating the cause can take FOREVER and still i may neveer know what caused it...

I had taken yasmin for a month and noticed severe side affects- nausea, panic attacks, dizzyness, fainting and i went to the ER to get tests done. they all came back normal. Even after I stopped taking the pill I still felt sick for a long time. The pill brought down my immune system causing me to now have Infectious Mononucleosis (Mono). I've had that for two weeks already and because of my low immune system I have also gotten Pneumonia. I was perfectly fine before I started the pill but ever since then my health has gone down hill. I am going to try another different pill again in December but I don't think I'm going with any similar ingredents...

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

There are a lot of negative experiences on here, so I thought I should share my positive one. I have been on birth control off and on for about 6 years. I was on orthotricyclin for the majority of the time-off and on. After getting horrible near migraine headaches on orthotricylin every Friday before my period for about 5 months in a row my doctor and I decided to try a different pill. I was on trilevelin (sp) for 4 months and gained a few pounds and felt easily irritated and emotionally different-just cried easily and not myself. I've been on Yasmin for a month and have had a great experience. I lost the water weight I'd gained and just verified with my boyfriend that my PMS was hardly even there. Everyone is different and has different hormone levels, but so far I am very happy with Yasmin. I've been migraine free tthe whole month!

I started taking yasmin at the beginning of the month suggested by my doctor for very irregular periods. I am 16 and have been irregular for 5 years and wanted a change. I also have very bad cramps or nausea when I am PMSing. I've never had any experience with a gyno and I didn't know what each kind was so I took her word for it. The first week or so I was nauseous before bed when I took it every day. Then 3 weeks later right before I was to start the "white pill" section I almos passed out in school. I was blacking out and shaking with a rapid heart beat and very dizzy. I went to the ER and the doctor said I just had "vertigo" and all tests were normal. After reading this and thinking I now have the stomach flu I have realized that Yazmin is the reason for all of this. I am glad that I'm not going crazy here. The past few days I've stopped talking it but I still have extreme anxiety (possibly caused by upcoming stress in school- i'm extremely busy and all over the place), dizzyness, shaking, nausea, diarrhea, vometing, random shakeyness and headaches. I hope this helps other women that have the same symptoms and are wondering what is going on- I know I was like that until I found this website.

Headache, Disconnected feelings, Feeling of nothing really mattes, No emotions at all, shortness of breath, and worse of all the dizziness!!! Is it ever going to get better? I have been off of them for 2 months and still don't feel myself!

Girls everywhere . I have one question and please you can reply in private or on here, whatever you like. Did any of the doctors that prescribed Yasmin to you ever give you a hormonal test? I have been going through really bad emotional mood swings for a white but did not have insurance so never really go myself checked out. So last month I went back to my home country and visited a gyno(where medicine is not so overpriced) who has been recommended to me by numerous people and he did a bunch of hormone tests on me concluded (by blood work) that I have a hormonal inbalance. Before the tests were done he obviously asked me a bunch of questions and I warned him that last time i had gone on a losely prescribed birth control(which is was suppose to be very low hormone dosage) I went practically nuts. After seeing my results and finding my inbalance he has prescribed Yasmin to me because apparently I have too much estrogen and other things I couldnt really understand because I am not a doctor but I think one of the things it does is to block some of these hormone from going to your brain. So My point after all this rambling is that ALL of our bodies are different and all birth controls are different and have different hormones which could drive a normal person insane with or without taking the pills SO my suggestion if you are having trouble with Yasmin is to get your hormone levels checked, Yasmin may be the devil to you but its probably because you dot need certain components that are in it or lack some. Get real tests done!

I can't believe I have found this site!!! I have been having horrendous but very petty arguments with my boyfriend just lately, to the point I do not know if we are over as he is only speaking to me in a temper voice. Obviously I believe eveything is his fault(!) and now after reading the site I am wondering if it is all actually me and down to my pill, yasmin, as everything I have read about everyones mood swings rings true! I am almost 3 months in and have been experiencing headaches for the first time in my life and I thought it was just one of those things. My breasts are nearly up a whole size and I have become really really self conscious which I have also never been like before and few of my clothes appear to fit. I have also recently visited the Dr's with dizziness which I actually put down to Jasmin although she said it couldn't possibly be the pill and put it down to a dodgy eardrum which she thinks I have - also I believe I have become increasingly deaf... could that be the pill too or am I now blaming everything that is going wrong in my life on that one tiny little tablet????
I am going to book an appointment with my Dr for tonight but am really conscious that I am going to burst into tears the moment I walk into the surgery - is this the table or because of the rows with my boyfriend? (Like the chicken and egg!)
I have been on Dianette for years and have never experienced any problems - surely it can't be that bad, can it?????

i have been taking Yamine for about a month and a half, after being on a generic pill for a couple years. I didnt know if these symptons i was having was caused by yasmine, but now i think it may be. I have been getting lightheaded, blurry eyes, shakiness, hot flashes..almost like a panic attack, and i have become very dehydrated, even though i have been drinking alot of water. I even went to the doctors for these symptons and they still don't have an answer, so i think it may be yasmine.my newest sympton as of yesterday is chest pain. also i feel like my heart is beating fast all the time, and i feel fatigued way too often, which is causing me to eat more, becauase i am starving way to often, and if i don't eat i feel like i am going to collapse. Also my sex drive has gone to non-existant- is that common? I workout all the time, and eat pretty healthy, so i don't know what else these symptons could be coming from. Is anyone else experiencing these sympons?

I am experiencing extreme dizziness, fatigue, nausea, cramps etc. I had an experience at the hair salon. I became very jittery. There was a flutter in my chest the room began to spin. I became very hot and sweat major bullets. I had to fight to keep from fainting and was sick to my stomach all evening. I asked the doctor what was going on? Of course this can not be possibly from the Yasmine I have taken for 8 years. Yesterday I was so dizzy I had to stay in all day. I have not slept through the night for a week. I am so glad I found this blog. I will be taking it with me to my doctor appointment Monday.I have only been off the pill for 1 week.

I am experiencing extreme dizziness, fatigue, nausea, cramps etc. I had an experience at the hair salon. I became very jittery. There was a flutter in my chest the room began to spin. I became very hot and sweat major bullets. I had to fight to keep from fainting and was sick to my stomach all evening. I asked the doctor what was going on? Of course this can not be possibly from the Yasmine I have taken for 8 years. Yesterday I was so dizzy I had to stay in all day. I have not slept through the night for a week. I am so glad I found this blog. I will be taking it with me to my doctor appointment Monday.

Hi. I just wanted to let everyone know what has happened since I stopped taking Yasmin 4 days ago. (I only took it for 2 months.) I'm still having heart palpitations, feeling of a lump in my chest, and still a bit dizzy at times. My ears kind of feel like when I'm on an airplane coming in for a landing when the dizziness comes around. I'm also still having an occasional urge to cough. I still have shortness of breath and it's very noticeable when I'm talking and saying a long sentence. I thought the symptoms would really decrease but it seems to come and go. I feel the palpitations more frequently during the evening hours. I don't know why that is though. All of this makes it really hard to concentrate a work. I was reading one blog that said to take extra magnesium and zinc. Has anyone tried that and is it effective?

I started Yasmin three years ago. It was great, lighter periods, fewer cramps, less acne. About a year ago, I noticed my left arm would kind of be numb. Then two months ago, I started getting light-headed and dizzy. I went to the emergency room, they couldn't find anything wrong. They said I had a panic attack, but I knew that it wasn't that. I'm a very calm, happy person. I went to a doctor, said I had fluid in my ear, prescribed Antivert, didn't help. Went to another doctor, did an ecg, glucose test, nothing. Said I should go to a neurologist. I didn't because I don't have insurance and I suspected that it was probably the Yasmin. In fact, I asked each doctor if it could be the pill, since this was the only thing I was taking and they said no. Went to an ENT, found nothing. Finally, I just decided to go off the pill, got better, but still having dizzy spells and migraines. It's driving me crazy. Missing work, social engagements. I had the brown spots and vaginal discharge. That I could deal with, but this is ridiculous!

Hey everyone i have been taking yasmin for almost a year now and during the first month i bled almost everyday. When i went back to my gyno she said this was normal because my body was getting used to the hormones and that it would level out over the first two months. When she told me this it really didnt worry me too much bc i had an irregular period anyways. After the first month everything was fine until my third period when i experienced horrible cramps, mood swings, depression, and breast tenderness, and i dropped about 5 pounds. Yasmin is the only birth control i have ever taken so i'm not sure if i should switch bc i can deal w/ the cramps and breast tenderness but i'm not sure about the depression. I am only 18 and recently i have noticed a couple more side effects like reduced libido and dizziness...i wonder if another type of BC would be better?

I also completely understand the decreased libido many report. If you think about it this way it makes total sense and none of are crazy! Yasmin increases serotonin in the body according to my research. SSRIs are a group of antidepressants that also increase serotonin in the body. SSRIs are NOTORIOUS for decreasing libido due to the increase in serotonin, so it makes sense Yasmin would also. For me this has been a troubling problem along with the others I mentioned. Interestingly I had increased depression and anxiety, but this couod be to the increased moodiness overall. I also agree with the palpitations and dizziness as I have these symptoms also from time to time. These could also be attributable to serotonin-mediated side effects.

I've been on Yasmin for just over a year and I cannot complain. I began taking it to relieve severe endometriosis symptoms, and it has truly been outstanding in that capacity. It has also cleared up the "beard" of acne that I had on my chin and around my mouth. During the first 2 months I had nausea, dizziness, and moodiness, but it has since gone and I have no complaints at this time. Just thought you might like to see a positive experience!

wow i red all your stories now i started thinking iv been on yasmins for 7 months and my body just did a big change. my chest is always sore and tender head aches dizziness a loud rin tone in my head that is driving me nuts now this big problem with anxiety and panic disorder i am 29 and on so many medicaations for heart burn asthma inhailers and pills for anxiety and depression . every thing happened so fast with the anxiety depression which i never had before gas like you would not beleive bloating weight gain after i read all your stories can bc do this to your body do you think all this anxiety and panic disorders and stomach problems and foggy head loud sounds be from a bc after i read your stories i will be stopping them and going to see my doc thanx alot and good luck with you all.

AVOID YASMIN LIKE THE PLAGUE! I never have got on with contraceptive pills, but this pill is absolutely the worst of all types I've tried. I specifically told my doctor that responded badly to hormones in BC pills such as weight gain and tender and enlarged breasts - well, two days after starting Yasmin, I started to get shooting pains in the sides of my breast and I grew at least a full cup size. I was miserable, having to wear sports bras and unable to move in any way without feeling discomfort.

The discomfort was not only in my breast, I also started to get extremely moody and a bit depressed. My best friend and husband and I were on a weekend seminar and the two of them called me 'punchy' all weekend. This occurred for about two weeks, succinctely during the two months, I was on Yasmin.

Other side-effects were: heavy periods, spotting, weight gain, dizziness and I swear, I could have slept my life away on this pill. I was always feeling tired and like I needed more rest.

I'm now trying Loestrin 20 now - hoping that will be ok for me.

I am a Registered Nurse, I am 35 years old and I have been taking Yaz for about 1.5 months now and have had an overall bad experience and now reading all of other's side effects, I think I will be taking myself off of it. I have horrible fatigue and extreme weakness, I am a runner and for the last 2 weeks have had difficulty finishing my runs without dizziness and almost collapse. This in itself is depressing but I also have noticed the depressive symptoms are worse than the symptoms of depressive type emotions I exprerience with PMDD. PMDD is the reason I sought out a treatment and they suggested this, not very happy with it. I also have breast swelling now with tenderness and very low libido and extreme need to sleep, sleep and sleep. I also am irritable and angry with outbursts much of the time, I can't deal with this anymore and I will be ceasing the regime. It is nice to know that others have the same type effects, especially with the exercise intolerance. I also have tremulousnous and general fogginess of thought. Well, thanks readers for your shared info. A.Wilson

I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.

I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

My "minor" sude effects were the following:

* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face

This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).

My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.

All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)

I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.

I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.

The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.

After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.

So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.

They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.

I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.

I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.

My two biggest questions are:

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.

This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.

Please help!

I have been on Yaz for over 2 and 1/2 months, and during this time I have been bloated, gassy, pain in my stomach, vomiting, diarhea, headaches, etc. I have been to the ER once and they said they couldn't find anything wrong. I get well, put some weight back on, and just when I'm better I get all those symptoms again. The only thing that has changed in my life is the addition of Yaz. My son and husband are not getting sick, so its nothing anyone can catch. All my doctor can tell me is to take Nexium. I've never had an acid problem in my life. So today I took matters into my own hands and I've stopped taking the Nexium and the Yaz. I'll update later with how I'm feeling. Thanks for all the posts validating my concerns on Yaz.

Hello!

I was on Ortho-tri-low for 7 or 8 years (I am currently 27) and began taking Yasmin about a year and a half ago at the suggestion of my new doctor.

At first, things were great! My skin had always looked fine, but Yasin made it perfect - even better then my old pills. Slowly, however, symptoms of somethinh darker took over but I never suspected Yasmin until I found this site.

I had attributed my new horrible, moody, AGGRESSIVE personality to stress (got engaged in September, switched jobs - high pressure job etc.). I come from a family who sees sickness as weakness adn I basically took full responsibility for my temermental flaws and ignored the horrible physical symptosm as well. I had MAJOR anxiety, heart palpitations, dizzyness, depression etc. Teh last straw was about a month ago when my periods had lasted almost 5 weeks. I FREAKED out - (cancer? fibroids? Ahhh!) - not to mention weight gain.

I'm not usually a person who runs to the doctor about every little thing, but the prolonged period urges me to actiona dn in teh process I foudhn this site. So I did what I thought was sensible: I stopped taking Yasmin that very day.

WARNING: if you just stop Yasmin out of no where, you may experince what I experienced: thyroid problems. Sure, this means nothing to you as a healthy girl just bopping through life - but MAN does it suck when something's wrong with yoru thyroid. I've been off Yasmin for 2 weeks now and my skin is so dry, I look like a snake (Where is my beautifulk skin frm Yasmin!? I miss it!)

I've decided to never take that evil medication again, skin be damned. Already I'm feeling better because the depression has wanned, but my insomnia is out of control. I forgot what's it's like to be NORMAL and happy - soooo glad I've got that part back. My wedding is in 4 months so hopefully I'll be all the way back to my old self soon.

Anyone else experienced this horrible dry skin thing? No amount of lotion helps. I've even tried Neosporin all over, to no avail.