Yasmin and weight gain

WTH? I got off Yasmin 2 months ago and I have started gaining weight since then! :-o I have always had pretty much the same weight since 16 years ago but now after getting off I've gained 5 pounds in 2 months. This sucks! And trust me, it's not my fault that it's happening.

And the weird thing is that I eat half the sweets and candy now versus when I was on the pill. Is the weight gain going to stop? Am I going to loose these extra pounds then? How long can I expect it to take before it levels off again and my body is back to normal?

I hate that I even started taking this pill in the first place. :-(

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

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

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

I have been on Yasmin twice now, with a 6 month break while using Yaz (got free samples). The first time was for about 2 years. Now it's been 5 or 6 months. Both times, I have had the following side effects, but did not realize they were the pills fault, until I started taking it again -- and noticed the trend. These side effects are particularly bad the first 3-4 months of Yasmin, and then my hormones seem to level out...

1. Weight gain. I have gained 5 pounds since restarting Yasmin this summer. I am dieting and exercising, and I think that if I weren't fighting as hard as I am, my weight gain would be significantly higher.
2. Facial and random body hair. Ok, gross and embarrassing. I have had random chin hair pop up, and one strange chest hair that comes right before my period. These were not an issue while on Yaz, or after my body became accustomed to Yasmin last time. I am not normally a hairy woman. Seriously!
3. Pimples. These were the worst pimples I have EVER gotten, and had to visit a dermatologist for serious medicine to counter my acne. I literally have ACNE SCARS from the huge, severe cystic acne that I have while on this pill. I do not normally wear makeup, but no makeup could cover these HUGE zits! This is awful for the first 3-4 months, and my skin flairs up on the 3rd and 4th week of the pill still. People didn't even know they were pimples, as they were so big and red. Beyond pimple size. I don't know how to explain this well enough -- literally quarter sized. I am currently on my last week of pills for the month (week before period) and have a large cystic pimple that doesn't even look like a zit, because of it's size!
4. Heavy, inconsistent periods. My period last month lasted 4-5 days (about average for me). I bled through tampons and actually had to double up. For example, I changed my tampon right before I left the house for work one day. I got to work (30 minutes) and had bled through my heavy tampon, panty liner, underwear, and into my jeans. This is NOT acceptable!
5. Grumpiness. Yes, I'm a bit grumpier and more emotional than usual, but counter that with increased exercise (also to fight the weight gain).
6. Sex drive. Point blank: I have not had an orgasm since being on this pill. I'm a married woman, and that would be nice to have once in a while.

What shall I do about this? Nothing. Apparently Yasmin is supposed to be the best pill out there for weight gain, acne, and facial hair. So, they are telling me that other pills would be even worse...? Does ANYONE have a useful suggestion for a new birth control pill that will have fewer side effects?

Words cannot explain just how grateful I am for coming across this web site. I've been taken Yasmin for about 4-5 years now and thought nothing about it. Started getting horrible horrible horrible mood swings. Everything and everyone were affected by my behavior. Pretty much have the same side effects from the weight gain to the thinning of the hair. In the past year or two I started to have these symptoms and could not figure out what the heck was going on. I must of went to 10 different doctors who took blood test after blood test and could not find anything abnormal except my cholesterol, which was strange bcuz i've eaten healthy my entire life and exercised. So here began all the different types of meds to try. Oh gosh has that been terrible. Nothing seems to be working so I decide to go to a psych dr. thinking perhaps I have some kind of imbalance going on. So I take a test that has several questions on it which pertained to alot of the symptoms I was having. I then was "diagnosed" with severe anxiety and at the time I really didn't know too much about it. Great now I know whats wrong so I thought. For the past year I have been taking Wellbutrin XL9highest dose) and lexapro. It seemed to have some effect on me, but it started to take a nose dive after several months. I stayed on it (dr. orders) just uped the dose. Horrible idea bcuz I'm back to my same symptoms. No desire to do anything!!!!! Fed up I googled this morning something to help my severe mood swings down right horrible moods. Cannot believe people don't hate me.....yet. So this web site popped up and realized it had to do with Yasmin. Could not believe it. I too felt and still feel that i'm nuts!!!! But I'm not alone and that is good news for me. Thank the Lord for whomever started this site. I'm going to stop today and not take it anymore. I will be sure to let other women know to be very cautious about this pill.

I was on Yasmin for 3 years and never experienced any significant side effects. I tried several different contraceptives to help with my menstrual cramps, and Yasmin was the only one that didn't make me crazy. I didn't notice any obvious weight gain, and I never experienced the horrible things I have seen written on here. I sympathize with everyone. Several other types of pills have negatively affected me: Alesse, Femcon Fe. I think it at depends on the person. About 4 months ago, I decided to go off of the pills just to see if my cramps would still be as bad as they used to be. They weren't, but as soon as I came off the pill, I got mild to moderate acne, I was sweating like a man, and generally felt exhausted. I decided to go back on Yasmin simply to help my acne.

I was on Yasmin on and off for the past year without major issues (maybe because I used it for a month, then drop off, then another couple of months and another break) and this year I started taking it nonstop since mid July.

So almost 3 months later now, I'm beginning to bloat and feel tubby all of a sudden (which is ludicrous because I just started eating healthy and doing exercise 2 weeks ago, so it's not me pigging out and blaming it on the pill!!). My tummy is also swollen and distended on a daily basis now, and I have a latent feeling of indigestion every bloody time I eat, it's very uncomfortable.

Yasmin definitely upsets my stomach, and I can tell the difference because on the last week of the cycle, when one's off the pill for seven wonderful days just before the period, I have no issues whatsoever.

On this last cycle I've also been feeling really emotional and snappy, and this only used to happen when I was actually PMSing not randomly like now.

I seriously believed in all the benefits Yasmin promises, but I'm beginning to realize the weight gain (and I really hope it's just water retention) is about the same as with all the other hormones in the market.

My periods were definitely lighter and I got rid of the spots, but... at this price? I guess that as a woman, you can't win can you?

I also have a question. I've taken about 5 pills so far this cycle and I just want to stop, I can't go on like this any longer. What happens if you just stop taking it for good when you haven't finished the treatment?

Thanks for reading.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Im 20 yrs old and started taking Yasmin last fall. i was on it for 7 months and finally stopped due to 15lbs weight gain, extreme depression, and nausea. i have been off it for 6 months and haven't had my period since. i have also had extreme loss of metabolism, ive never had this much difficulty losing weight, after all the cleansing diets and working out every day! i would love to know when this crap will finally be out of my system so i can get back to having a normal, healthy life. if anyone has useful input about thins let me know!

I was on Yasmin from November 2005 to February 2007. I didn't have a period until June 2007, and have only had 4 periods since then (and one was medically induced). I have been to a gynecologist and an endocrinologist. I have had a battery of blood tests done and all have come back normal. I have some more coming up.
Before going on Yasmin, my periods were relatively normal. I didn't have a "set your watch by it" kind of period, but I did have a period every single month (just different times during the month). While on Yasmin, I can't name specific side effects that I noticed. Looking back, breast tenderness increased (and continues), increased propensity to headaches and fatigue, and weight gain were all present. It is going off of it that has really messed up my system. My doctor originally thought I had PCOS, but blood tests have come back normal. I was even convinced, because since going off Yasmin, I have developed some of the classic symptoms. I am at a loss as to why my cycle has not returned to normal.
I am so frustrated, and while it is nice not to have periods, I want to know that I am okay. I am wondering if my being on Yasmin is still haunting me.
Has anyone else had difficulties for such an extended period after coming off of Yasmin?

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

I posted here on July 15, and would like to update.
(I had been on Yasmin for 3 years and got off it at the end of June, then experienced severe migraine and fatigue as well as weight gain of 6lb in a few days)

On July 16 I had a little bleeding, and migraine stopped. Then, within a few days, my skin and hair became very oily. A few pimples appeared on my face. I hadn't had a pimple for 6-7 years and my skin had been dry. I keep losing and gaining a few pounds in a day, and my fingers and face swell especially when I get up in the morning. I had migraine and felt extremely tired on August 12 - 15. On August 16, I got my 'period' that felt fake - even lighter than when I was on Yasmin. It started very slowly, and very light flow continued for about 5-6 days. No cramp.

I don't feel normal yet. I get water retention, and my skin is still very oily. I got a pimple on my neck and some on face. My skin feels very irritated and feels like there're tiny pimples all over my face. I feel overly worried about things that are beyond my control.
Good news is my sex drive recovered and I haven't had yeast or BV.

I hope we feel better (normal) soon. I will update again. Thank you for reading.

I have been taking Yasmin for a little over a year now. I had really bad mood swings and was extremely emotional during the first month, but ever since then I have had no problems. My period is a lot shorter and lighter, I have no cramps, and my skin has almost completely cleared (and it was really bad before). However, my breast size did not increase whatsoever, and seeing that I am A cup, I would have loved that. Reading all these comments makes me wonder why I did not have that side effect! Besides that, I didn't have any weight gain or notice any other problems! Hope this helps!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wonder if you realize you are talking to over 4000 users will all the same or similar symptoms....when addressing a mass of people who agree upon the negative aspects of this Synthetic HORMONE. Just wait until the time when you start getting the palpitations, (as a completely fit young person like me) Then tell me how great you feel. if this wasn't serious and in suspicion, we wouldn't have googled it and made an account just to be able to contribute to complaining. if we wanted to attribute our negative health issues to something rather than owning up to them, we surely wouldn't reach out to strangers to do it, but rather be satisfied with that idea in our head, as our reasoning, as you suggest. Say what you wish about Us complainers, I can only THANK GOD that I had enough side effects to become fed up with it truly enough to say goodbye AFTER 6 YEARS of troubles including tiredness, weight gain, depression, anxiety, palpitations (scary flip flop ones ...and super fast out of no where ones....exercise ones and sitting in my bed ones....Irritability and lack of interest in life in general) This is my first month off in 6 years and i had no period, so i came on to google it....and come to find out there are zillions of women having trouble on LOTS of sites if you type it in google. I hate to tell you dear, but just because you are having a great result with it in ONE aspect after a short time, doesn't mean your hair wont fall out too when you finally decide to stop like the rest of us. I can only hope mine wont. and again, I reiterate, this many people cant be wrong. I hope the best for you and for gods sake, get OFF the shit.

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

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

I'm 22 years old and I have been on Yasmin for 3 years. The first year it was fine, but the next year I began getting panic attacks which I never even believed in until I had one myself. I've had severe anxiety that is uncontrollable and doesn't allow me to sleep at night. Let's not even talk about the emotional mood swings during my period. My boyfriend knows when it's that time of the month because I'm not myself. I will cry over things that would never make me cry in a million years. I'm mean and moody and then 20 minutes later I feel bad, but then I'm crabby again. Weight gain has not been a problem for me only about 3-5 pounds, but my breasts did go from a large B to a D. My boobs definitely do not fit my body. I have noticed a lot of hair fall but I just thought it was normal. I too have had problems with my potassium levels as I would get leg cramps in the middle of the night so I began drinking Gatorade and eating bananas every morning which has helped. I love being on birth control because it helps me plan accordingly, but I just don't feel like myself anymore. I am always hungry and am never full. I literally have to tell myself out loud that I'm done eating because it doesn't trigger for me. I have had a stomach ache nearly everyday of being on the pill. I became addicted to TUMS which only made it worse. I thought it was stress related which it might be, but I literally do not go to the bathroom for 4 or 5 days and it is soooo painful. Another thing is that I have no sex drive. I really have to prepare myself for it otherwise sex does not even occur to me. My boyfriend thinks I'm not attracted to him, but I AM! We just moved in together and you would think it was "freedom" but I'm just motivated to have sex. This is not normal for a 22 year old healthy female with an extremely hot man.

Anyway, I just went to the doctor and told her I was interested in Yaz. She gave me a few sample packs which I will begin next week. I'm hoping for the best and I truly do believe that birth control is a trial and error process. Everyone's bodies are different and you need to find the one that works best for you! I will write again once I know how Yaz works out.

-MCL

I was on Yasmin for 3 years, and just got off it a week ago. I tried 3 different birth control pills before Yasmin, but I cannot recommend any of them. The side effects of the first pill (three-phase pill) were more visible in a short period of time - weight gain, moodiness like crying or feeling edgy for no reason, BV, and decreased sex drive. Because it was not tolerable, after 3 months of this pill (I cannot remember the name), I switched to Min-Ovral. It was better in regards to weight and moods, but I had no sex drive. Also I had several yeast infections (following the initial episode after use of antibiotics to treat BV) after I had sex. After about 6 month of this, pill I tried Alesse but nothing changed. After 6 month of Alesse, I changed to Yasmin. The side effects include
(1) zero sex drive (affected relationship with my husband)
(2) yeast infections and bladder infections (never had either before)
(3) migraine (2-3 times a month, sometimes with nausea)
(4) anxiety (not severe)
(5) fatigue or low energy
Migraine was so bad that I was wasting my time just suffering from pain 2-3 times a month, 1-2 days each time, my husband suggested I should go off the pill. Now I've been off Yasmin for a week (2 weeks including a week between packs) and I've seen 'side effects' getting off the pill.
(1) feel like my head is going to explode - feel pressure in my head
(2) fatigue and sleepiness - can't concentrate
(3) weight gain 6 lb in a week!! while my diet or exercise did not change
(4) bloating especially on my lower stomach
I found this web site and had to post my experience, although it is still too early to tell. I think I will see a doctor if these side effects persist for a month, and will update the post here.
Thanks for reading, and I hope we will find a good solution somehow.

... I just want to say that I did not have a bad experience with Yasmin or Yaz (I had been on both). I took Yasmin for about 3 years and Yaz for about 2 years. The only thing that has been rough is actually stopping it... the first month Yasmin-free, nothing much changed, aside from some weight gain (only about 2-3 lbs or so), but my period was still pretty much the same... HOWEVER, month two... what a train wreck! Spotted for 4 days, thought I was pregnant, but oh, no... my period arrived with a vengeance four days late, and it totally brought me back to those high-school days when it was so heavy, I was self-conscious of leaking! I have also gained another couple of lbs, which I can only attribute to stopping the pill because I have become very active since the beginning of the summer, and have been cutting down on food portions. So, we;ll see what happens... but if anyone else has experienced weight-gain after coming off of the pill, I'd love to know.

Otherwise, no issues! Yasmin seemed to work well for me.

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

My experience with Yasmin was decreased aggression, mood stability and increased breast size. when I stopped taking the drug, I had an increase in aggression, less fatigue and no weight loss.

My T-3 levels are fine. My blood work is fine. Not many headaches. My mood became more depressed when I stopped taking Yasmin.

Not sure if I am suited to take the drug. So, I am starting Yasmin again to see if I notice side-effects. My estrogen levels were low prior to starting Yasmin the first time. So, I am wondering if my testosterone is a bit too high, and if Yasmin levels me out so to speak.

I think those with normal estrogen levels, prior to taking Yasmin, are badly affected by Yasmin. I wonder if those of us, with lower natural estrogen levels are as badly affected by Yasmin.

Will let this site know in a few months.

ALSO get this pill from Canada - ******
It costs $22 and it is the exact same packaging, etc.

Hope this helps

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.

My jaw dropped after reading all of these posts. I started on Yasmin 3 weeks ago. I've never really been on BC's before, so I thought that my headaches, numbness and fatigue were just because of school. I finally connected the dots and looked on the internet to see if it was the Yasmin or if i was just crazy. I am so thankful to have found this website. I wish it was in the paper or advertised. Doctors should not even be able to prescribe this drug.

Hello! I'm 27 and I've been taking Yasmin for probably 7 years and never had a single problem. My weight stayed the same, my periods got VERY regular, to the DAY, and things were ok.

Starting about 3 months ago I was on my honeymoon and decided to skip my period that month which I do a few times a year and Yasmin never let me down! Anyways my period came anyways and not only that, but I spotted an extra week after! It was most noticable in the mornings after having sex. It was just brown and yucky. Then I didn't have a period the next month, only 24 hours of brown and this month I had a regular one. On top of that I've suddenly gained 5 pounds without changing ANYTHING. I wonder, can Yasmin suddenly screw me up so many years after I started taking it? I hear horror stories about Yasmin but I only see it from women taking it for a few months or maybe a year? It was always so good to me. What's going on? The weight gain terrifies me too because I so easily gain weight and I've been trying so hard to eat well and I feel like it's been pointless. It ticks me off more because I have to pay $50 a month for Yasmin even AFTER insurance pays 15, and now I think it's messing my body up too.

I have a OBGYN appointment in a few weeks and I'm going to talk to her about it and see about getting on a new pill anyways for price reasons, but do you think all these weird sudden symptoms are from Yasmin? Can you recommend a pill? I can't afford to gain anymore weight. I just can't...

Did anyone have weight gain as a side effect from STOPPING Yasmin? I was on ortho tricyclin for 7 yrs, and switched due to weight gain to Yasmin, which I really liked. Except after 2 yrs I thought it caused weight gain, so I stopped about a month ago, and initially noticed a really bad headache (not a headachey person) which resolved. But strangely I think I've gained a lot of weight in the past month, while eating better.

Has anyone else noticed this? Does the weight come off?

i took dianette for acne for 18 months then asked my gp if there was an alternative..i was unhappy at my weight gain...i took Yasmin for 3months and in the 3rd month i had a constant headache..it peaked and became quite severe with a sickness but only if i laid on the left side of my head..i went back to my gp and she has now told me i can never take the pill again due to the risk of DVT...THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE..i have taken dianette for ages without any side effects but Yasmin made me feel sick all the time and i was very depressed...anyone been the same...my acne is starting back and i am gutted,,,,cant go out of the house

Ive only been taking this pill for appx. 3 weeks..... its my first bc pill...... ive noticed weight gain, ive recently noticed ive been in an extremely bad mood,... and i am naturally a light hearted upbeat person...... but my biggest concern is...... my loss in sex drive..... i naturally have a HUGE sexual appetite and it has withered down into a non existent state..... this pill SUCKS

I love Yasmin! I've been taking it for over a year now (I'm 31). I have little to no pms, super light periods, perfect skin, and no weight gain from taking this. My only complaints would be that I do get mild, dull headaches in the temple areas of my head more often than I ever remember. They're not bad though, and they don't ever last long. They're just annoying. Also, I noticed my period doesn't show up til day 4 of the placebo pill, which can be a little nerve wracking.

My 3 close friends, 2 sisters and a sister in law of mine all take Yasmin and none of us have ever had any major complaints about it. :)

After 5 weeks of taking Yaz, I have developed hives, "lobster red" skin and itchiness from my ankles to my knees. The itching is was so bad, I was using a metal hair brush to scratch (I know, not good). It turns out, I'm allergic to Yasmine. Hives is one of the first side effects.

I stopped taking Yaz about 3-4 days ago and the hives went away completely last night (my doctor told me yaz stays in your system 7-10 days).

The doctor also told me, if you do develop hives on this medication, you need emergency help. Hives can spread very very quickly and they can obstruct your airway.

I personally did not go to the emergency room (I didn't know any better), I was able to control them with Benadryl.

I am sad I can no longer take this pill. It was awesome. It took away my appetite, no moodiness, no pms, no weight gain.

:-(

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?

Migraines (with Aura), slight weight gain, loss of sex drive, hair loss and mood swings.

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

I have just gone back onto Yasmin after an absolutely horrifying experience trying to come off it.

I have taken Yasmin for 3 years with minimal problems. My skin was fantastic - never a blemish. I actually LOST weight while on it and went up a up a breast cup size. I got lighter periods which was a godsend. I did get a few problems though - gas and stomach bloating as well as headaches sometimes shortly after taking it and occasionally break-through bleeding. But for me the pros outweighed the cons.

I came off it recently as I'm no longer in a long term relatonship and it was just awfull. My skin broke out, I got very oily hair and skin and felt like I was going through puberty again. The worst problem was that in just 3 weeks I blew up like a baloon. I literally stacked on weight every day and my family all made suggestive comments like "been enjoying the cake lately?" I was so angry since I'm such a healthy eater and excersize every single day!!!!! I have never had a problem wth my weight before and the only change I made in my lifestyle was coming of Yasmin. I was so upset with my appearance I have actually gone back on the Yasmin. However its ridiculus to stay on it for beauty's sake.

Has anyone ever experiecend this before??? If so what did you do????

I thought Yasmin was great. I took it for about 3 years. I had light periods, no pain, no weight gain. I wanted to try Yaz, though, because I can get quite emotional before my period. I've been on it for about 5 months now and have had painful periods, headaches before my period, breakouts on my face, and weight gain. So I am switching back to the Yasmin. I think everyone reacts differently and pills aren't for everyone so you just have to shop around and try different ones before you find the one that's right for you. I took Ortho-Novum in my late teens, early-20's and I gained weight from that, too.

Hey everyone...I have been on yasmin for 6 or 7 months now... I have experienced som of the same symptoms..whe i first got on it i was nauseated and tired for about 2 weeks...being on it for a while my boobs got fuller, and i had clear skin...i little weight gain...but my weight goes up an down all the time! somedays im 5 pounds heavier than others! i've never gotten depresson or anything from taking the pill, and it definately didnt kill my sex drive...it improved i quite a bit...im horny all the time! and have great sex...its painful at times but that's not cuz of the pill!!! but i currently have a problem...im experiencing several prego symptoms but i took a test and it came out negative....so i'm curently wondering whats wrong with me! i have all the early symptoms and no baby???? that makes no sense to me!!! anyone have any ideas what it could be...or is it possible that the test was wrong??

LADIES, I'M HAPPY I'VE FOUND THIS SITE JUST RIGHT BEFORE I TAKE YASMIN. WOW WHAT A RELIEF. OKAY, HERE'S THE BEST ADVICE I COULD GIVE. I'VE TAKEN THIS CONTRACEPTIVE PILL FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS AND THE ONLY SIDE EFFECTS ARE: HAD MORE FACIAL HAIR BUT IT'LL GO AWAY EVENTUALLY. A LITTLE NAUSEA--JUST A LITTLE. A LITTLE INCREASE IN APPETITE BUT NO WEIGHT GAIN IN THE FIRST YEAR(I GAINED WEIGHT AFTER MY SECOND YEAR). A LITTLE DECREASE IN SEXUAL DRIVE, BUT NO PALPITATIONS, NO MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS. HERE'S THE BEST PART. THE BENEFITS: VERY CLEAR SKIN. TAKE NOT, VERY VERY CLEAR. THE COMPLEXION IMPROVES AS WELL. MY DRY SKIN ON ELBOWS GOT BETTER(I THINK). BREASTS BECOMES FULLER. THE NAME OF THE PILL IS DIANE35. IT'S WORTH A TRY. AGAIN, I THOUGHT WITH YASMIN I COULD LOSE SOME WEIGHT BUT WOW THESE SIDE EFFECTS THAT YOU LADIES HAVE SAID ARE NOT WORTH IT! TNX

Where to start! I started Yasmin in Sept. of 2005. So I've been on it 2 and a half years. Things were fine for a while. It did what it was supposed to do, including no weight gain. That's how its been marketed here, so that's why i got it. Nothing has happened all of a sudden. Its all creeped up on me very slowly. Headaches, pressure in my sinuses, tiredness...all pretty simple. But here's the thing. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and put on Prozac. The Prozac didnt help. I came off it. Now here's the more troubling symptoms I've experienced. Heart Palpitations, squeezing in my chest making it hard to breathe, increased fear and anxiety (which cause heart attack-like symptoms which can more commonly be described as a panic attack). I've had my finger on the 911 buttons several times in the last 8 months. Now I'm discovering the joy of incontinence. Do you have any idea what its like to be in the store buying groceries and then all of a sudden there's a puddle of number 2 around your shoe? I do. I'm 23. Abdominal pain, stomach distension, constipation followed by diarrhea. Hair loss. Cold feet. LOSS OF SEXUAL DRIVE! My God!

I've said all this to my doctor. He ran blood for everything, there's nothing wrong with me medically. X-rays, mri's, cat scans, ekg's. Nothing nothing nothing. I changed doctors and told the new doctor my story. He figures that because i was put on Prozac for depression, that I must have developed Hypochondria (aka extreme paranoia and a belief that I'm terminally ill). Not true, I know its not terminal, i just need to be put on a new pill. My husband and I have regular sex, he's allergic to latex, and even those non-latex condoms. We're not ready for babies yet, so I dont know what to do. But if this helps someone else, then taking the time to write this was worth it. And as a side note, if you're on the pill and have the choice, and your doc wants to put you on prozac...Don't do it. Try switching your pill first.

I think It is wonderful...I don't understand why everyone can blame a little birth control pill. Come on now, is everyone honestly reading what they wrote it sounds ridiculous. My acne has cleared up and I haven't gained any weight except for the weight i put on myself not because of the pill. That whole weight gain thing all depends on you. I have headaches...but they are just headaches I had them before I started birth control -their not gonna disappear. Mood swings -we're woman like I said about the headaches- had mood swings before- their not gonna disappear... Thats all I got--- think about what your saying before you write it.

I'm thankful I found this site. I haven't experienced weight gain or acne. I have been on the pill for 2 months. But, it has made me feel extremely moody, very emotional and my contacts are blurry. I have crying fits for no reason or I get extremely upset like a flash. My family noticed a change immediately. I am switching to ortho tri cyclen lo.

I was on Yasmin for 1 year know and let me tell you it has been crazy. Acne my cheeks are always red and look like I had a bad rash, Blurry vision could not where my contacts. I went to the eye doctor got my RX change and still had the same problem. My hair is so thin and just shedding like crazy. And the worst of all is the damn weight gain I have a personal trainer 3 times a week and even on Weight Watchers and really watch what I eat and cant even lose 10 pounds. I came off of it this week and going through some terrible migraines know. But dealing with It. I just had to come off of it before I became bald and blind.

Its the absolute worst. I had been on Yasmin for 2 years and my Dr. switched me to Femcon. I cant even explain. After two years I finally felt like myself again. Yasmin gave me crazy head ached, anxiety, and intense emotional moods swings for no reason. My friends though I was loosing it. Now Ive been on Femcon for 6 months and its amazing. Theres no weight gain, MUCH better skin, and no breakthrough bleeding. I think Femcon is the miracle pill! Plus my breast grew one full cup size with no weight gain. : ) I'm telling you its a miracle!

HI my name is Jennifer, I am 27 years old, I went for my annual check-up on January 9 and I was telling my doctor that I was having headaches and feeling nausea a week before my periods and so she changed me to Loestrin 24 which I hate and yesterday was my last pill Thank God, and so now they switched me to Yaz which I start on Sunday and I am so scared of taking it because I have read so many things about women having horrible side effects such as blood clots in the lungs, acne, weight gain, vision loss and other side effects, I have gotten to the point that I want to call my doc again and get back on ortho tri cyclen but I have not even started Yaz I do not want to seem crazy! Can someone help me cause I am already freaking out and I have not started taking them yet please help!
Jennifer

I have been taking Yasmin for about 6 years. I didn't really have many side effects at first at least not anything I wanted to blame on the pill because I do take other medications, but after reading all of these problems that others have had, I wonder if I've just been overlooking what Yasmin may be causing. Other than the less serious things like major depression, anxiety,panic attacks, zero sex drive, weight gain, bad headaches, etc., about 3 years ago i had a benign lump removed from my breast. My Gyn said it couldn't have been caused from the pill but my surgeon said it definitely could have been caused from the pill. Then last June I had a mini heart attack. I am 35 and don't smoke. I wonder if the pill was responsible for that as well.

I have been on Yasmin for 4 years. I switched from Ortho-Tri-Cyclin because the massive weight gain. I have had no visible problems with Yasmin until recently. I have not gained any weight, but I work out 5 times a week. Now, after reading other posts, I realize that I have had many of these problems. The past year or so, I have been crying for no reason at all. I have been extremely tired no matter how much sleep I get, a loss of sex drive ( which is hurting my relationship), very painful sex, and have had respiratory problems. Over the past couple of months, I have had severe gas, which has never been a problem before. It is painful. I have had very bad TMJ for about 2 years now. I have never had any problems with my jaw before then. The pain is on my left side. I just read some of the side effects of Yasmin, and left-sided jaw is one of them. I am going to talk to my Gyno about switching at my next visit. Has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone know why this happens?