Yasmin and going crazy

I just started taking Yasmin again in March. I had taken it back in November but stopped midway through my second pack because I was experiencing severe anxiety, nausea, fatigue... to the point my social life and grades in school were suffering. I went online and found this site and read how there were a lot of women who experienced bad side effects from this pill too. Recently I decided that it was in my best interest to take birth control again and because I did have added stress in my life during the time I took Yasmin before I thought maybe I would be okay this time. I WAS SOOO WRONG. I haven't even been on Yasmin again for a month and my life as I knew it has been turned upside down. In less than a week of starting it I started to have severe chest pains and nausea. I thought I was having a heart attack. I have had panic attacks before and this was nothing like that The tightness and pressure in my chest never has gone away. I've been to three different doctors and have had many tests to figure out whats wrong. They all tell me the same thing that I'm a healthy 22 year old and that if anything I just have inflammation my ribcage. My grades are suffering again because I have missed a lot of class because I feel so awful. Every morning I wake up with the chest pain (that gets worse the more active I am) and nausea. Since all these symptoms have come on my relationship has taken a turn for the worse too. All I want to do is sleep, I don't feel like going out, I get annoyed very easily by everything my boyfriend does so I don't want to be around him. I feel so "out of it" sometimes I get dizzy and feel numb all over. Its so scary (esp. the chest pains) The worse thing is that no one really believes me (i.e. my boyfriend) I never feel good and I'm sure the people around me are tired of me complaining all the time. One more thing... I started my period very early (I still have a week and a half of active pills left) I've never experienced that before... weird. Anyways, I stopped taking Yasmin 2 days ago. I still have all the same symptoms... I really hope they go away soon. I want to get back to my old self and my old life. YASMIN SUCKS!!! I'd rather take the risk of getting pregnant than take Yasmin. At least then I'd have a excuse that ppl would believe for being sick :(

i am on my last pack of pills for yasmin. my gyn put me on loestrin starting next month. i hope i have a better experience with that than yasmin. at first i didnt notice any side effects at all. then within the past couple of months (ive been on yasmin for about 6 months) i have noticed so many problems.
i am prone to migraines, but i am getting migraines at least twice a week which has severely effected my work and school life.
i had an ear infection.
ive gained close to 20 lbs (!!!!!) when in the past few months my lifestyle has been healthier and more active than it was when i started this pill. it just doesnt make sense to gain so much when i have improved my lifestyle..
i find i am moody and depressed, if something bad happens, even if its something little, i either get so uncontrollably angry or sad and i cry all the time. im not normally this emotional, ive even cried at work. its so embarrassing.
ive also noticed that after any meal i feel like i am extremely bloated and my stomach starts hurting. it doesnt matter what kind of food, it could be healthy, greasy, veggies, or cereal..no matter what my stomach always hurts to much afterwards.
i am also getting night sweats and horrible back pain, especially when i go to bed.
i am gassy, and my cramps last for my whole period. none of those things ever happened before i was on this pill.
my libido went down, however i think this is due to the weight gain. i have never felt so disgusting in my whole life.
i have gone through many pills, and the nuvaring as well. none of them have had side effects on me as yasmin.
does anyone have any suggestions for other pills for me to try? i am willing to give loestrin a chance, especially because it is a lo dose pill..and i know that everyones bodies are different. i just feel so lost..i hope this new pill works out better.

Up until today I thought I was seriously going crazy. I have been taking Yasmin for about 2 years but I took a break from it for about 3 months. I just started taking it again in September and it has been going really downhill from there. Since I began taking it again my moods have gone out of control, nauseous, NO sex drive( and when my fiance would want to I would tell him to leave and that all I wanted to do was go to sleep), cramping, bloating.. etc..I have been doing poorly in school because I had been feeling depressed with the relationship between my boyfriend and i. My boyfriend encouraged me to medically smoke marijuana when I had pain from cramps and it has surely helped me. I know that I could choose to continue to feel like crap all the time or to figure out what is wrong with me. Finally I got online and wanted to see what everyone else was feeling while being on Yasmin. I had every effect that every other upset woman had. Finally I know what it is... YASMIN. I will stop taking Yasmin once this month is over. Thank god

The cure is worse than the disease is true for me with Yasmine. I started because of heavy periods, very painful ovulation, and cysts on my overies. Stop the periods sounded better than a hysterectomy.
My gall bladder has been very sore, and causing me the classic symptoms of gall stones or gall bladder disease. The ultrasounds, MRI's and blood tests are normal, the pain is always there, and very strong at night. I have seen at total of 6 doctors before someone said," birth control pills cause this type of pain." I have quit Yasmin but true to the British Columbia health system it will take another month before I can see my GYN. All women please check all the side effects of birth control pills, it seems so common, we take for granted that it won't be us that has the problem. Just for all you nay sayers out there, I already have a low fat diet, I am 5' 3" and 130lbs.

I am so glad that I found this site, and I don’t feel like I’m going crazy anymore! I’m 22 and had been taking Yasmin for 2 years. About two months into taking Yasmin I began having unexplained migraines for days that would not go away. I was prescribed medication for my migraines, and it didn’t help. Then, I became depressed and would cry about everything. I also became moody and would yell at everybody for no reason at all. I was also tired all the time and was constantly having hot flashes. I also had terrible nausea and vomiting with Yasmin. I vomited almost every night for two months! The worst symptom of all though, was panic attacks that almost put me in the hospital one time. I finally looked up the side effects of Yasmin and thankfully found this site. I have been off Yasmin for two weeks now, and already I feel like myself again! I have more energy, and I am no longer moody or sick to my stomach. I have also not had a migraine and I even feel more clear headed. Yasmin destroyed my relationship with my fiancé and I’ll never get that back. Hopefully, other woman will see this and stop taking Yasmin before it ruins their relationships. I thank all of you woman who shared your stories! I felt so much better after reading them.

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.

OMIGOD!!! I totally thought I was going crazy too and I have only been on yasmin for 2 months! I have been unbelievably miserable, or have wanted to cry for no apparent reason. I have super bad cramps, and crazy migranes as well. I haven't been able to sleep, been getting hot flashes (and i am only 22), and been overall exhausted. I get dizzy really easily, and my sight keeps blurring. I have also suffered from nausea, heartburn, diarrea, and have been super depressed. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to get off this pill. It isnt worth ruining my 3 week old marriage over, that is for sure!

I am happy to have found this site. I have been on Yasmin I believe about 3 years. I am educated in the insurance industry, so I should have known better. I really thought I was going crazy. My mood swings have been horrible for a long time. I am snap at my family just saying everyday things. I sound angry even when I am not. I know I am doing this, but can not control it. I get terrible headaches, muscle stiffness, nausea, exhaustion, and I have gained weight. I also have issues with severe anxiety and wake up in a panic sweating at times. I got hot flashes out of the blue. I have come to the conclusion I need to be off of this pill immediately and I believe that I will start to feel better. I will keep you posted.

I am so relieved to have found this site, like many of you I thought I was going crazy. I had just been to lunch and nearly cried because I didn’t’t like anything on the menu (and am usually fussy, but serious this is just being nutty). I have been taking Yasmine for just over a week and have been so depressed, tired, moody, my weight is out of control, but most of all just feeling like there is nothing to wake up for. I am usually full of life and driven to achieve, but recently I have not wanted to ever bother to get out of bed. I was going to wait until the end of the packet but now I am going off Yasmine ASAP.

Wow... I'm not going crazy!!! My doc put me on Yazmin about a year ago to help regulate my moods. At first it wasn't bad. I lost weight, which was GREAT! But the past several months I've been miserable and didn't know why until now. I haven't slept throught the night in so long, I get really bad headaches, severe lower back pain, NO SEXDRIVE whatsoever ( used to have a really high sex drive), and extreme irratability and fatigue. I've experienced PMS symptoms that I never knew existed, sometimes for 3 weeks out of the month. i'm so glad I decided to google and found this page. I will definitely go off this pill at the end of my pack and see my doctor about going back on Marvelon, which i don't think I had any major problems with before. I will keep you posted!!!

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

EVERYBODY REPLY TO THIS Let's see exactly how many women have had negative side affects from Yasmin. Just reply with the sideaffects. I see lots of posts and was wondering how many women are out there sharing similar problems. So me.... migraines, extremely horrible mood swings all from taking yasmin for 8-9 days next..........? lol

Hello All,

As I read new stories on this site from women just realising the devastating effects of Yasmin, it breaks my heart.

I stopped taking Yasmin 2 years ago, after I found this site desperate for a reason for my complete insanity (anxiety, depression, panic attacks, vertigo....with no history of such). I had been on Yasmin for close to 2 years with the first year and a half symptom free....the last 6 months on it I became an entirely different person....scared to leave my house, utterly depressed and completely bewildered as to why when I had never felt this way, and had no reason to.

I cried as I read this site and realised Yasmin was poisoning me and my mind. I immediately stopped it (although it is recommended you only stop at the end of the pack you are on...I couldn't wait). Well the depression lifted within days....the dark cloud literally left like a miracle from above. Anxiety proved difficult as it continued for a few months but each month got better and I continually read from this site to remind myself that although I felt out of my mind at times, it was as a result of my body detoxing itself from this drug.

I did have plenty of times when I thought the old me was gone forever....but I now am back. Trust that you are getting better....trust that the real you is not mad or crazy and is returning slowly.

I recently read the following website and found it really made sense, particularly as my blood tests after yasmin kept saying my hormonal levels were 'normal' even though I didn't feel back to normal. You need to click on the 'cure for PMS' section. I would recommend all of you coming off this poison read it....

I wish you all the very best of healing and health. Take care of yourselves, avoid caffiene, white sugar, excess salt (none of which help anxiety) and drink plenty of water and exercise....and always remember to talk to someone about how you're feeling as you go through this...I always felt better talking rather than letting things stew in my head...even if it sounded insane....my sister was a godsend reminding me that I was going through a detox.

Be well!!!!

I recently discovered that my Yasmin birthcontrol could be what is making me feel anxious and depressed lately.It comes in bursts one or more times a day where I feel lots of axiety, depressed and thoughts that I cant live like this anymore. I have stopped taking it and was wondering if anyone knew anything that could help me to relax when ever I start feeling out of control. I'm hoping to get it all out of my system soon and start feeling back to normal again. I'm tired of feeling scaired and sad and anxious. Any one else feel the same way? Any success stories from stopping the pill and how soon did you start feeling good again?

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

Hi everyone, I've been off Yaz for two weeks now and have had severe depression, emotional numbness, anxiety, muscle weakness, migraines, and on and on. The symptoms are actually getting worse in some ways since I went off the Yaz.

I'm hoping someone can tell me whether they've had any success in going on another birth control pill after Yasmin/Yaz in order to stabilize side-effects of depression and anxiety, which are what freaks me out the most. I've been off Yaz for two weeks now and if anything my side-effects have gotten worse. I'm seeing a doctor and trying to figure out what's going on, but in the meantime I am desperate to feel like myself again. I'd rather not go on anything else hormonal for the long-term, but I'm considering going back on an older, completely different prescription (Loestrin) which didn't cause me any psychological side-effects. One of my doctors says it should be fine, but the other doesn't want me to do it. Has anyone else felt an improvement in depression and anxiety from going onto a different pill prescription? Thanks for your help!!

I hadn't been on birth control in a while, but getting into a new serious relationship, we both agreed that we should have some extra protection. I have only been on Yasmin for about 3 months. The first month was OK and I felt fine. But the past two months I have been experiencing extreme anxiety, nervousness (grinding my teeth), depression, stomach problems, and I just didn't feel like myself. I felt so low and didn't want to do things. My boyfriend noticed the changes in me too and I was taking a lot of things out on him just because he was there. I also haven't felt very sexual, like my libido totally dropped.

I know you are suppose to wait until you get your period to discontinue taking any type of birth control pill, because you can throw your whole body off. But I stopped taking them today and I can tell you I feel so much better already. No more pills for me! Back to good old condoms!!

I am so happy that I found this website and read that others have been feeling the same way. Now I feel like I am NOT going crazy. I know that not everyone feels these things and it could be good for some people, but it wasn't for me.

I am due to start my third pack of YAZ, and I am getting off today. My dr. gave me a three month trial after I switched from ortho-tricyclin low because I had break-through bleeding. I realize with any contraceptive there are going to be side-effects, but this is ridiculous... I have had extreme fatigue, I am sleepy all the time. I also feel like I cannot think clearly, like my head is clogged or something. I also feel very anxious and this feeling like I am going to pass out. Also my eyes feel very dry and unfocused. Nothing is worth feeling like this, and it is very obvious that all these symptoms are coming from this pill. I am scared to try anything else!

I've been on Yaz for 1 year now. I've been in a deep depression since September ( 6 months on Yaz) for which I've had to seek treatment. It took 4 months to get me straightened out on medications and still daily I struggle with it.

Also I've noticed right shoulder pain, weight gain (60 pounds), no libido, chronic fatigue, bloating with horrible gas.Is all of this from the Yaz or is it my depression or what? I'm having a really hard time sorting thru all of this.

I am going crazy with this birth control pill ladies! I started last month after my period and my last pill was this monday and I have been experiencing ALL of the PMS symptoms each day and it's getting worse but i haven't gotten my period! I'm supposed to start my pills again on Monday but what if I don't get a period? Is this abnormal? I'm 41 yrs old and PMS and abnormal cramping is the reason I am on Yasmin. I am feeling wigged out, tired, and can't sleep through the night. Can anybody help with some advice?

I am so glad I found this forum for this pill that has changed my life for the worse since I started taking it. I have been to the ER because I fainted at work and had a very rapid heart beat. My PMS has been the worst I have ever experienced since I started Yasmin. In addition to that - I have experienced the following since starting Yasmin in November 2006: Rapid heart beat, vertigo, breast tenderness all the time, sleepness nights, bouts of drepression, nausea any time of the day, my eyes burn after all day and are extremely dry, shakiness in my hands. I thought I was going crazy at first or that something was seriously wrong with me medically but looling back - all this started about a month after I started my first Yasmin pack. I took my last pill yesterday after discovering this site and all the other women out there who are experiencing exactly the same thing. I hope to see an improvement in my mood and personality soon.

Hi ladies! I am in complete shock at what I am reading on this site! I thought I was going crazy but now I know I wasn't and I am not alone!!! I was on Yaz for two months and in the first month, I noticed that my libido went from moderate (sex 3-5x a week) to completely non-existent- like a light switch. Then at the end of my second pack, which was this past week, I experienced breast tenderness, non-stop headaches (bordering on migraines) and my abdomen was extremely bloated. Also, throughout this past month, I have noticed my joints have been achy and my muscles have been sore. I have been weak and tired all the time on top of feeling anxious and restless. These premenstrual symtoms are completely uncommon for me to have. This past month in particluar has been oddly confusing and almost like an out of body experience. Now, in retrospect and after reading about others' experiences with Yaz, I am convinced that all those symptoms were/are side effects of Yaz. I hope this posting is helpful to some, in the same sense that other postings were helpful to me. Good Luck!
Kara

hi guest 36095.
i also still get chest pains,i have been off yasmin for 8 months. i only seem to get them either around ovulation or menstruation but it feels like someone is sitting on my chest or like i have broken my ribs or something. i also get a sensation of not being able to get enough air sometimes. these sensations are linked to hormone imbalances and hopefully they like all the other wierd and not so wonderfull symptoms will go away.

Silke.
please don't stop posting on here,you have helped so many people as you are one of the longest suffering that still visits the site. you give us hope for the future!

Kim123.
i know you feel like you are going crazy and just want anything that will heal you NOW but silke is right there is no magic cure only time will heal,your body needs time to repair itself. take the vits and minerals,carry on with your exercise and walking and keep trying to relax. we have all been were you are now and we KNOW how you are feeling. we are all just trying to reassure you that it will get better. i promise you. i felt so bad at times i wanted to end my life but i am still here and you will be too.you will use your valuable experience to help all the other new ladies that join this site. every day.
email me if you need a chat.

best wishes to you all.

sarah

I kind of feel stupid for not recognizing Yasmin being the problem sooner. I contributed my panic attacks, anxiety and depression to the birth of my daughter in 2004. I was put on Yasmin Summer of 2005. I switched from OrthoTriCyclen Lo because I thought the pill was making me bloated and crampy. I have recently found that I needed a colon cleansing pill that keeps my colon healthy. By Thanksgiving of 2005 I went to my Gyn for my yearly and mentioned my anxiety. He put me on Paxil. A month later I had gained 10 pounds and had to move up to size 12. I was weaned off of Paxil, absolutely miserable. I took Welbutrin, it made me worse. I tried to take nothing for a few months and could not even handle life. For the first time ever I did not want to get out of bed I had such horrible anxiety that I thought I was going crazy. By spring of 2006 I started going to a different doctor. She put me on Effexor, at first I felt great but then I started feeling bad again. I have upped my dose twice and I feel that at 300 mg of Effexor I feel like I should not be feeling anything but I am still depressed and having anxiety. Just yesterday I had a full blown panic attack while going on a dune ride with friends. Something that I normally would enjoy. In Oct. 2006 I was expressing my concern of weight gain to my friend and she mentioned that just maybe, if Yasmin could give me pregnancy breasts(size B cup to D cup) that maybe it is giving me other pregnancy symptoms. I decided to go off of Yasmin, it has almost been 3 months and I am hoping to see a change soon. My breasts have gone to a DD. I have gained another 14 pounds. I have had 1 period and now am 3 weeks late again. I have been bloated and irritable for 4 weeks now. My stomach is so bloated I look like I could be 3 months pregnant. I hope my symptoms have helped some of you, I know yours have helped me. I now feel like there is some hope.

SassyPixie

Hi Bitter RN and everyone,
Bitter RN, I would love to talk. Maybe we can meet for lunch or something. It would be nice to meet someone that is going through the same thing. My email is******. Email me and I will send you my number.
Reading all these post make me mad, sad, and alittle better that I am not going crazy. We are all suffering. I had the shakiness alot in my arms in the begining. That has gotten better for me. I still have the shortness of breath sometimes. I also have headaches in the back of my head and dizziness. I am ovulating now, so I really feel yucky. I just sit and wonder if I will ever be me again. Now I am on Lexapro and I worry that I will never be me again. I guess as long as I am happy, anything is better than the way I have been feeling. I just wanted to add that I too, had problems with the vitamins. They were making me more jittery and nervous. Which is weird because I never had that happen before the yaz. Does anyone else have the oily hair and painful cystic like pimples in scalp? Just curious. This is annoying me too. I have been having more good days than bad days this week. Yeah i guess! I still get the anxiety alot at night. It just hits me out of no where. If there is anyone that has the oily scalp. Do you have any suggestions on a product that helps. I had never had oily hair.

I dont have days where I feel good I feel good for a portion of one day dont feel good for days I have the agitation in my arms everyday 6 weeks off the pill and I only took it for 3 1/2 weeks.

Does anyone feel back to normal???
How long Iam going crazy cant function
I want days where Iam good all day and for more than one day

i have been off yasmin for about a month now after taking it for 3 months...i have experienced many side effects that made me stop taking it :upset stomach, acid reflux, awful belching, fluid retention, extreme thirst, fatigue, mood swings etc.
After I stoped taking it , many of the effects have gone except for the upset stomach and the belching, i hope this will get better some time soon otherwise i'll be going crazy...

Help me please! I was on Yasmin for only three months but it has changed my life dramatically. I realized it all when a cop stopped me and my driver's licence was taken away. I reacted by crying hysterically, for over two weeks, vomitting everything I ate (I lost 10 pounds in two weeks) and feeling drepressed. I went off the pill right away and now almost three months later, it happened again. This time it is job/career related and I am at work and all of a sudden I burst out crying and my chest hurts and I feel such a failure and extremely depressed. After being off the pills for almost three months, is this normal? or am i officially going crazy? Will I react to every stressful situation with extreme anxiety attacks? Please help!

i'm so glad i found this site. i started taking bc pills again in feb 04. in feb 05, i switched to yasmin because i heard so many good things about it and the other pills were making me sick. when i'm finished with this pack, i'm not refilling it. here's my experience with yasmin: the good: my period is regular, no breakouts, period is lighter and shorter, no worries about getting pregnant. the bad: still get cramps, boobs hurt all the time and am spilling out of my bra, facial discolorations, feel bloated all the time. the ugly: horrific migraines (never had them before), anxiety and depression and i'm a happy person. i'm doing a detox cleanse to get myself back to normal when i'm off. for now, i'll take my chances with condoms and natural methods. nothing is worth what i've been going through. thank you all for sharing your experiences because i thought i was just going crazy.

Hi Chris

I just wanted to let you know that someone cares how you are feeling. Believe me, I do. I was on Yasmin for close to 2 years when all hell broke loose for me - anxiety and panic attacks, heart palpitations, muscle weakness ..... the list goes on and on! I thought I was going crazy ..... I was so down and thought that I would never get my life back. It has been 10 months now off of Yasmin and I am so much better. I am 38 years old so I chose not to get back on any kind of pills. I truly believe that Yasmin should not be prescribed so PLEASE, if you can... try not to get back on Yasmin. Good luck to you and know that someone shares your pain. As you can see, I still come to this website to read all of the post (10 months later). Take care of yourself!

Silke-
Hi, BitterRN here again (still bitter about yasmin too:)
But Im feeling better and I want to share with you my findings and thoughts about what I think about your situation. But first please dont ever hesitate to write me, I check in on this site pretty frequently to see how everyone is doing and it always breaks my heart to see another "victim" of science or someone who is still struggling with this nightmare drug.
So here is what I think, I think your testosterone is low still. I really believe this is the root of your problems I am almost sure of it. You see I think Yasmin suppresses testosterone. This is a side effect of most birth control pills, but I think Yasmin does it even more so. I am proof of that, I took ortho novum for several years, I had breakouts and oily skin as my body had always been this way even before bcp. Then I took yasmin, and yeah my skin had no more breakouts, no more oil, (and no more life in it.) I know for a fact that my testosterone became severely low. And with low testosterone comes all the symptoms you and all the people on this website have been complaining about, and I think the longer your on it the more symptoms develope, because your body is not getting this incredibly important hormone, the hormone responsible pretty much for anti-aging, muscle repair, sleep, sex drive, overall sense of well being. so I think symptoms start to appear one by one as the testosterone is decreased by the yasmin, and the thing I have noticed is that when testosterone starts to go down, anxiety goes way way up!!! I felt this myself, and friends who have been diagnosed with low testosterone have felt it as well, and everyone has said they felt like they were going crazy! Depression sets in. And then when yasmin is stopped its up to your body to replace all the hormones it was getting synthetically with hormones it now has to make. Again I feel this is harder with yasmin because it so severely depresses the androgens (testosterone)
Now your body is trying to balance your estrogen and progesterone and testosterone, and it seems to be unable to do it quickly let me show you my journey..
I stopped yasmin in Jan 06 I started regulating my hormones in april 06 my first testosterone level was 11 and normal is 20-50. God only knows how low it fell in the 3 months between. So april it was 11
may it was 15
july it was 21 (normal range)
I was starting to feel much better at the end of july. So the fact is as my testosterone has been going up, my body has been recovering. As well as the estogen and progesterone balancing out which cause a who new set of symptoms of their own when they are not in balance(menopausal symptoms frequently)
So this is what I am trying to get at Silke, I think your body has been working hard to get the testosterone up, and judging from your symptoms still ongoing, namely the muscle weakness, tiredness and weakness, and the anxiety, I feel very strongly that your body is having trouble getting this hormone to the level it needs to be for you to feel better (yes just like your old self) I have been supplementing with bioidentical testosterone, though I do not recommend this until you have seen a physician who will test your hormone levels and READ THEM CORRECTLY which is key here. I know you said you had your hormones tested before and that your testosterone was "Low normal"? Is that correct? But even if that is so what most people, and even most doctors do not understand is that a "low normal" reading on a woman in her 30's is NOT NORMAL. Thats normal for a woman in her 80's(and I bet she doesnt feel so hot either!)
I know it is hard to find a good doctor. But I happen to have stumbled across a good doctor here in Arizona and he has clinics all over the U.S. and even one overseas in Spain. Now I realize you live in Germany right? So I e-mailed them and asked if they had any other clinics in Europe. I will let you know when they get back to me.
Anyway here is what I found. Since I think your body needs a boost in testosterone (I mentioned this before but sometimes when bcp suppress testosterone for so long, the body kind of forgets how to make it again, so it may need some help) and I think this may be what is going on with you.. But the first step for you is getting your hormones tested to be sure what it is you are lacking and then having them read by a bioidentical hormone doctor, and then you may have to supplement with bioidentical testosterone, but do not be afraid Silke, this is not synthetic hormones like bcp it is identical hormones that your body makes and you will be supplementing not replacing.
Anyway on to what I found, Im sorry I get sidetracked....
These centers I found have a procedure called Sottopelletherapy. What they do is make a tiny incision in your hip or buttock area and insert a bioidentical hormone smaller than the size of a grain of rice with the hormone you are lacking, this is of course after they have tested your hormones and determined which one you are low in. Your body can then absorb the amount of hormone that it needs from this implant whenever it needs it.
But I really think you need a good doctor to test your hormones first and these doctors in these centers really understand hormones. Here is the name and address of the one I found in Spain:
Dr.***

If they e-mail me more info. I will let you know. But my friend who had many of the same symptoms as you silke, the feeling down, tired, anxious, muscle weakness, she went to this clinic (she is a nurse too) and had her hormones tested and they found her testosterone was very low (almost nothing) and she just had this procedure done. She has been on anti depressants for 3 years now as 90percent of the women who see this doctor are because they are mis-diagnosed as depressed (as are a lot of women on this website) and put on anti depressants. She is looking forward to getting off of them soon.
So the bottom line is I know yasmin drops your testosterone (I have seen it in myself) the thing is i think everyones body on this website is trying to replace this precious hormone, and everyones body, depending on age(because the body slows down in production of hormones and you dont make it as fast.) and just your particular situation (length of time on it, pre existing factors?) is just recovering at its own rate. However, I think the people who are taking a really long time(like a year or more) and experiencing setbacks as in your situation silke, need more help as your body cannot seem to fully restore testosterone levels that are normal for you. And I think only when this is balanced are you going to feel like the old you again.
So now I am the one who has written a book again, so write me back and let me know what you think. I hope I did not use too much medical talk. If so let me know and i will try to explain it better.
Look forward to hearing from you Silke,
BitterRN.

Am I going crazy? I've been taking yasmin for only three weeks, i started having horrible back pain a few days ago that wont go away, and for the past three days i've litterally crying non stop and i dont know why which makes me cry more and have been very short tempered with my boyfriend over stupid things that dont matter at all. bless his heart because he probably thinks i'm crazy...I'm really considering stopping it because the only reason i was put on it was because i had a cyst on my ovary and its gone now so i figure from what everyone else is saying the sooner you quit taking it the better.

someone please tell me i'm not going crazy

thanks,
steph

I am tearful as I am reading the other women's experience with Yasmin. I took Yasmin for 3 months because of very difficult periods (severe cramping and back pain). During this time I became increasing numb, void of emotions, and experienced severe panic about knives and sharp objects, lost six pounds and no sex drive at all. I stopped the medication and I am starting to feel better. I though I was going crazy and I was afraid to be around my son or to be alone. Now, I know that it was attributed to this medication and biochemical changes occuring. I am so glad to be medication free...this medication is really scary! I am so glad to know that I am okay and my mind is getting back to normal. I would rather have a few days of PMS every month over the craziness of Yasmin.

eryka-

I know what you are talking about with the thoughts. Here is waht I am experiencing maybe it is the same:

I like get scared that I am going to lose control of myself and do something awful like hurt someone I love. I get scared of being around objects that are violent...like knives and scissors. Is this the same with you?

If it is I have no clue if it is from the pill or just anxiety in general. I look at it as their might be something in your life you feel you cant control or something. Yourself is the one thing you can control and it is frightening to think that you could just lose control. This also explains the feelings of going crazy. (I've written a paper on this and have done a lot of research because of my own experiences haha). Anyways, most the time it really does stem from a control issue. You're scared of losing control of your actions or your mental state. And yes, many times these thoughts lead to panic attacks. Just think to yourself that you are in control and nothing is happening to you. You control your actions. And if you were really "going crazy", chances are you wouldnt even be sane enough to come to that conclusion haha.

hope this helps!

Flowerbabies,
You mentioned in your last posting about how to deal with anxiety attacks, specifically replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. When you said this about negative thoughts, I knew it was time to ask this. I am so ashamed to ask this question, because I have not told anyone this in detail, but has anyone else had very grim or violent thoughts? I mean thoughts that you would NEVER think normally? It is getting a lot better for me - I do not have them as much anymore but sometimes a very violent or graphic image will pop into my head for no reason, and I will get scared and think "Why is my brain thinking this awful thing?" I usually always get a panic attack after these thoughts, because I am afraid I am going crazy. I am a very sensitive person and do not expose myself to violent images, so these thoughts that I feel like are happening to me - instead of me controlling what I am thinking - scare me half to death. It has taken me 2 months to ask this question on here because I am so ashamed. I do want to add though that in general I feel much much better, and these thoughts do not appear as often as they used to. I am assuming the reason for this is lack of serotonin production in the brain or at least my hormones/brain/chemicals trying to get back on track, etc., which I am trying to combat with valerian, vitamin b supplements, etc. Anyway, am I the only one with thoughts such as this? Please please please write back if you have experienced this hell.

hello

I'm 18 and Yasmin WAS my first BCP ever. It's not anymore...I took the first 3 weeks of the yellow active pills and started my mom and boyfriend started to notice a change in me. I all of sudden have panic/anxiety attacks about a volcanoe, fatigue, upset stomach, numbness in my arms, sick, vomiting, I don't want to be alone, I get nervous when it get's dark. I rock back and forth, I just stare at one spot, I all of a sudden don't want to take care of my baby. I would give her to my mom a lot. I thought I was going crazy until my mom found this page for me a few days ago. Since then I stopped taking Yasmin. My symptoms are starting to lessen. Saturday will be a week since I have taken a yellow pill. My Panic attacks have lessened but are not yet gone. My other symptoms are still here and probably will be for about 2 weeks (I've read that on other womens stories). I can't stand the panic attacks..I do not like volcanoes they do scare me, when I saw this show a few weeks ago about a volcanoe under Yellowstone National Park I started to get nervous about it, until eventually I had panic attacks about it...I don't get why though....then I find this page and it all makes sense. See I knew the volcanoe was there, but I never freaked out like this until I got the Yasmin in my body and system, since then all hell broke loose!!

If anyone knows a way and wants to get the word out about Yasmin let me know, I will gladly help. It's not a fun pill and I hate to think that there are women who are being prescibed it. I'm afraid my GYN is going to say that it's not the pill when it is. Your stories help support me and get me through this. I know it will all soon be over...that's all I can say to all of those who are going through it as well...it will all be over soon.

Hello,

I'm 18 and Yasmin was my first birth control ever. I took the first 3 weeks of the yellow active pills, and started having all these symptoms that I have never had before: panic/ anxiety attacks about a volcanoe erupting, fatigue, sick, upset stomach, vomiting, numbness in my arms, I don't like to be alone, I panic when it starts to get dark, I have a month and a half old baby that I sometimes just don't want to take care of so I give her to my mom. I have never been this way before. My mom and boyfriend noticed a change in me so my mom got online and found this web page for me. I'm so glad she did because I thought I was going crazy for a while. I was on my 3 white pill when I quit taking it. Saturday will be a week since I have put anymore actual hormones in my body. I am scared to death of any other bcp and I really don't want to talk to my doctor about it because I know he will just say that it's not the pill...but it is!!! After reading other womens stories I feel much better. I'm not the only one. I've started to feel a little better lately, just today my panic/anxiety attacks have not been so severe. For a while I wanted to cry when I got them, I just wanted to die. I would stand and be rocking back and forth, I would just stare at one spot. Please keep posting your stories. It's what really gives me support and gets me through this.
If anyone knows a way to get this pill off the market let me know...I will help. I really hate to think that other women may have this happen to them. I believe it's the drsp hormone that does this to me...it's awful!!

oh I forgot to mention the extreme thirst! I also feel 'full' even though I haven't eaten and when I do eat it's even worse! It is very uncomfortable and makes me feel even more anxious. (It's lunch time and I'm terrified to eat.) I also have this feeling in the middle of my chest like there's air stuck in there so I try to burp for relief (That feeling makes me anxious too...) Good God this sucks! I broke down and got a packet of pills last night because I figured my symptoms were somehow related to being off of the Yasmin. (I was right!) I think I will ditch them and try to push through this - even though that's 50 bucks down the drain! I was off of bc pills for about four months or so but I have bad PMS and hoped that being on the pill would help. (They touted Yasmin as an answer to PMS!) The worst part is that I have Bipolar disorder, so I have to be very careful about what medications I take. I'm about to break down and call my doctor for some Klonopin because I feel like I'm going crazy and I need some relief!! (I'm at work right now, I have no clue how I'm even functioning..) I need to get some Slim fast shakes or something so I don't starve myself...

Sorry for two long posts, but I am so relieved to find this site. I wish there was something we could do: there are so many of us suffering and for what????

Wow I thought I was going crazy... I forgot to refill my prescription, so I decided to go a month without. I do NOT take Yasmin for birth control: I am 'fixed'. I take bc pills to regulate my periods and my hormones. Anyway, I should have started the new pack on Sunday but didn't. Yesterday I woke up with the WORST pain in the back of my neck and between my shoulder blades; as well as a searing head ache right between my eyes. I've also been feeling like I'm coming down with the flu for a MONTH. Last night I had anxiety something fierce! After reading this board, I now realize it's Yasmin withdrawal... I thought getting back on it would help but I think I'll push through it and try something else. Anyone know of a super duper low dose BC pill that I can take just to keep my systems in check?

Thanks
Chris

Finally, I feel like I'm not going crazy. I've been on Yasmin twice, the first time for 6 months and the second for 4 and each time I turned from a happy, bubbly energetic person, to a depressed, whingey, emotional paranoid wreak. Does anyone have any alternative pills they would recommend?

Wow. I am glad I'm not going crazy because I thought I was!

I stopped taking yasmin for 2 weeks just to detox my body of any meds at all...and i felt great! lots of energy, endurance, great mood...and then...i tried going back on this sunday.

this week i've had 2 panic attacks, heart papiltations, dry mouth, constant urination, lack of focus, no energy, emotional instability. my hair came out in clumps on tuesday!

i threw these in the trash last night. stay away!

I am so glad I found this posting b/c I thought I was going CRAZY while on Yasmin. I was on another pill for the past 10 years and never experienced any problems, but then I was spotting a lot, so my OB-gyn switched me to Yasmin. I can not tell you the hell I was going through this past month. I am usually always in a good mood, and I was experiencing an out of control feeling of anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. I am also so dizzy all the time. I have also been very nauseous in the mornings. I did not understand what was going on and I thought I was losing my mind. I was crying uncontrollably and being very mean to my friends and family. I am so glad I have read these postings and have been off Yasmin for 8 days. I am going to the store to get some B6 and magnesium to start repairing my body. I feel for all of you ladies out there and hope we can all feel better soon!! Take care.

I'm going crazy on this stuff! Severe anxiety and depression!! Its ruining my relationship with my fiance. We moved in together recently, i was fine at first. THen i started takign Yasmin and ever since i've just been so emotionally messed up its crazy and i want to move back home with my parents. Its awful b/c he is such a good guy and all i am doing is hurting him by being this way. My gyno told me to finish this month out then i'll go back on ortho tri cyclen. I cant wait for the next two weeks to be over with!!!!

I am also glad I found this site! I really have felt that I was going crazy, but when I read through many of the posts, I have realized that Yasmin is slowly destroying my body, mind and life. Yes, maybe all of my problems aren't 100% from this pill, but when I think back, I used to be so much happier. Now, I'm depressed, antisocial and anxious much of the time, plus have a host of physical problems (see posts below) which have appeared in the last couple years. I have had problems with BCPs in the past with depression, but the only physical effect I'd ever had with those was weight gain. Normally, I'm a very healthy individual. It has all come on slowly and has gotten worse with time. For a long time, I had no side-effects, so didn't attribute any of it to this pill. It was only after finding this site, after a particularly bad day of dealing with unexplained nausea, that I see what it has been doing to me... I hope we all heal eventually! I do have lots of hope and am looking forward to the day when this is all behind me. Maybe this is premature, but I've only been off it two days (quit mid-pack) and already feel much more awake, and my pants, which have been tight for months, are fitting loosely! This pill is scary...

I have been on Yasmin for 2 1/2 years and off of it for 5 months. The only side effects I experienced when going on the pill were thinning hair, severe depression (and I do mean SEVERE) mood swings, panic attacks and bad anxiety attacks. I've always been a very social person and never had problems like this before. I felt as if i was living my whole life in a cloud. My husband and I decided that I should get off of them. However the side effects of discontinuing Yasmin have been worse. I have been sick for the past 1 1/2 months with what I thought was bad food poisoning and gastroenteritis. But now that I have read your other posts I realize that it's all side effects. I went to ER twice, the first time told me that my potassium levels were extremely low (and no I don't have kidney problems) and I was dehydrated. I had severe diarhea, severe nausea, depression, I felt like my whole body was shaking, and I felt like I was going crazy. I hadn't had much of an appetite which is very unusual for me. I got my period on time the first month after stopping, but then my 4th and 5th month I was 2 weeks late both times. I've never had irregular periods since I started at age 12. I'm still dealing with dizziness, motion sickness, anxiety depression. I occasionally have nausea in the mornings and afternoons. When they tell you that your body returns to normal about 3 months after you stop taking it, is not true. I'm into my 6th month and I still do not feel like myself. I'm so glad I found this website because it's literally like I'm reading my own testimonial because all of our symptoms are so much alike. I will never take the pill again. Thank you for all of your posts regarding this and hopefully everyone is on the road to recovery from taking this pill.
Tiffany

hi all,i have been off yasmin for 3 days now,i am not expecting any miracles yet! i stopped taking it with 5 pills still in the pack so expect to get a withdrawl bleed any day now, it may be all in my head but my anxiety seems less although i still get palpitations at night,the only down side is i seem to have had a pressure headache for the last 2 days and also a sore throat,could be a coicidence, that is the trouble as we do not know exactly what yasmin does and does not do it's hard to say "oh it's definately this that or the other"! My philosophy at the moment is ..... it may make a difference it may not but either way i know i am still going to have to cope with the aftermath and the memories of the anxiety but by stopping pumping my body full of artificial hormones i can rule it out as a cause of my weird and not so wonderful symptoms! Thanks to all have posted your stories on here,i felt so alone and felt that maybe i was going crazy,my doctors just wanted to send me to the shrink and put me on pills. but now i have taken control of my situation i feel much improved mentally even if not physically yet, hopefully that will come once this crap is out of my system! you're all stars and i wish you all the best with your recovery! i will be sending my sceptical pill pushing dr to this site so maybe he will think twice next time someone comes in feeling like we have and is taking yasmin!

I am so glad to have found this page and learned that I am not the only person going through this. Yasmin is Horrible. The worst part is that I am only now realizing it after more than 3 years. I was such and outgoing happy party girl. Then I changed.. Depressed, anxiety, panic attacks, nervous, insecure, angry, short-tempered, thought I was going crazy, heart palpitations and the list goes on and on. Oh yeah and my sex drive non-existent when I always had a very high libido. I didn't understand what was happening to me and never thought the pill had anything to do with it. I also had beautiful thick hair which is now a few strands of oily limpy hair. I stopped the pill and it's been about two weeks. I'm not sure if it's withdrawal I'm having from what I read from other women but my heart palpitations are horrible, I'm restless, my hands are sweaty, I feel confused and dizzy, nauseous. How long until I detox my body? I just want to go back to the person I was. I went to the Gyno 2 weeks ago and mentioned my low libido and asked if Yasmin could be the reason.. The Answer: No, You need more four play. I didn't believe her and that's when I started researching the internet. I can't believe we have all gone through this and these stupid doctors don't care. If you tell them you have anxiety they give you Zanex. I just want to go back to how I use to be. I will never take birthcontrol pills again.. Yasmin should not be in the market. I've read other posts and I'm hoping my third week of post Yasmin gets better.

Hello Ladies,

I began taking Yasmin about 2 weeks ago. I've taken Ortho Tri Cyclene and Ortho Lo before and have never had any problems, but I went off the pill for about 2 years and my Gyno said that this would be a good pill for someone going back on birth control. I thought that my side effects were just my body getting used to the pill again.

I started the pill pack on the first day of my period, and my period dissappeared in a day. I continued taking the pills and every day since I've been getting these cramps in my lower stomache (I can only describe them as similar to menstrual cramps- and I often feel nauseous), my back has been killing me, and I've been noticing more and more breakthough bleeding every day. It's almost like I've had a light period for 2 weeks. I've started to consider taking a pregnancy test but I don't know if these would be the side effects to taking the pill when you're pregnant, and I really don't think I am-- I think I'm going crazy.

I'm going on vacation in 2 days and I'm going to see if I can get an appointment with my doc to change the pill, because I'm not going to quit and get my period and I can't keep taking this horrible pill.

If anyone has any new advice, please let me know!!

hi there bitter rn and others

im 7 days pre-yasmin but i can,t really call it that because its my seven day break. i took my last pill last sunday and was due to start my new pack monday so i guees thats when the real test starts, as my body will be expecting it.

also i have been suffering from real bad migraines continously this 7 day break but today i have noticed SHARP, SHOOTING PAINS IN MY HEAD, IS THIS NORMAL ANYBODY?????

My dr has prescribed me with a ant-depressant called CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE 20MG DAILY, i told him that i would wait 2 months and if i feel like the anxiety was too bad to handle myself i would only then take it. i just hope i am strong enough to cope on my own without any kind of medication.

however i am thinking of taking homeopathic treatment to regulate my periods and get rid of the cysts on my ovaries, maybe this will control my anxiety after all its the hormone imbalance that causes the anxiety and depression, ISNT IT????
WHAT DO YOU THINK?????????

ANYBODY ELSE HAD THE SHOOTING PAINS IN THE HEAD AFTER STOPPING YASMIN, AND HOW LONG AFTER STOPPING DID THEY GO AWAY?????
PLEASE REPLY!!!!!!!

I DON,T FEEL DEPRESSED TODAY , JUST THE HEAD PAIN REALLY.
IM REALLY SCARED WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID PRE-YASMIN I HOPE I,M STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE IT, IM SUCH A SENSITIVE PERSON WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN WEAK-MINDED
WELL I GUESS I HAVE TO BE STRONG AND SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD AND HOPEFULLY I,LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT WITHOUT THE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.

THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS POSTED THEIR EXPERIENCES ON YASMIN I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER KNOWING THAT IT WAS THE PIL AND NOT MY MIND GOING CRAZY

ANY REPLIES WOULD BE APPRECIATED GREATLY

THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN

SOPHIExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

it really made me feel better to read some of your entries. i've been on yasmin for a long time. i feel like im going crazy. i know i used to be normal. i have crazy mood swings, i'm incredibly irritable, i cry a lot, i'm nasty and don't even know why, i get nausous all the time, my bowel movements are messed up, amongst many others. i stopped taking yasmin a few years ago and was off it for about 3 months. every month, right before my period i would get so sick to the point that i was throwing up and had diarrea every day. now that i see others experience what i do, im getting off this pill for good. thanks for showing me much of my craziness comes from this pill.