Yasmin & Yaz Survivors

Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 67 : Items

Katoms, I'd be careful drinking soy milk. Soy is FULL of oestrogen and us girls have messed up our hormones enough as is! Try almond milk instead <3

Joined: 19 Jul 2011 Posts: 4 : Items

I took Yasmin several years back when I was in a relationship and I was fine. I went off the pill after ending that relationship because I saw no point to it really other then helping my acne.

Then 3 years ago I got into another serious relatonship and about a yr and a half ago I decided to start the pill again. Also my acne was getting bad. This time I got the generic form (Ocella). It worked ok for me but the main negative side effect was loss of desire for sex and severe vaginal dryness. My acne cleared up though! I thought, well I will grin and bear the sex issue as long as this pill was keeping me from getting pregnant and helping my acne.

Then about 7 months ago my pharmacy stopped carrying Ocella and started giving me Zarah. Now this pill is supposed to be the same thing so I saw no problem with taking it. But now after doing research and experiencing side effects I realize that it is NOT the same. I read that the absorption rate is higher so that can have different effects on a person. I thought maybe I was crazy the past 7 months, but now after reading other people's stories, I realize I am not.

My side effects with Zarah were-

Horrible back pain and nausea at the beginning.

Increased appetite once the nausea wore off.

Hair loss- Didn't realize this until reading this forum and looked in my shower today and yup, clumps of my hair in it. THought it was the natural shedding process but honestly never recall going through this before.

Anxiety- Anxious about certain things.

Insomnia- I have a hard time falling asleep at night and feel so tired in the morning.

Depression- This is probably the biggest one. I started getting thoughts of wanting to die. This is very unlike me. I am usually a happy, positive, glass is half full, kind of girl. I just remember thinking how unhappy I was. I stopped socializing with friends. I started to feel completely isolated. When I did socialize, which was rare, I would feel like I was on the outside watching other people having fun. I did not feel engaged or involved. My first thought to any negative thing in my life or situation where I had any criticism was end my life and how much of an easier solution that would be.

Fatigue- I would find myself getting a full nights rest on occasion and feeling like I never slept at all. I would take lots of naps and have no motivation or energy to do anything. I blamed it on our cold spring, but then it was summer and I still feel the same way. Very unlike me.

Paranoia- I stopped trusting my bf. That is so unlike me. I have pretty much always trusted him and he has never given me any reason not to trust him. I just always assume the worst in him and that he is out to screw me over and cheat on me. I got jealous of his friends and his wanting to hang out with them twice a month. This came about mainly within the past month.

Acne- My Acne came back. Not as bad as when I was off the pill, but worse then when I was on Ocella. Red spots were on my cheeks where I never had them before.....EVER.

Emotional Moodswings- I'm fine one moment and crying the next. Then I get rage.....horrible rage. Which makes me anxious. I feel like punching something which is also very unlike me.

Sex Drive- ZERO ZILCH NONE. I felt asexual. I had no desire to have sex and never even had thoughts of sex. Never horny..(lol sorry but it's sad but true.) My bf thought I was losing interest in him. Sex was a chore. I would find myself checking my watch during.... That's how bad it was.

So I am glad to know it wasn't all in my head and that this is all serious side effects of the pill. I stopped now and will not be taking it anymore. I'm hoping to salvage what is left of my relationship in hopes of rekindling the first yr and a half where I felt sexual and had a happy normal life!

I still have horrible side effects but the good news in my appetite has decreased so maybe I will lose some weight! Smile

.

Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Posts: 1 : Items

Dear Friends,
thank you so much for this forum! You make me feel less alone. I took yaz for 10 month and quitted it a week ago after a last nightmare month. I was on holiday with my boyfriend, everything was perfect and I should have been very happy –except that I could not stop weeping for non-existing causes, being irritable and shattered, having severe heart palpitations, migraines.
There are moments where I feel I’m going totally insane. I can’t wait for this poison to get out of my system. I woke up crying this morning. I feel 40% of what I used to be… some days are better, some are worse. I used to be full of beans and independent and happy. Now I have to make an extra effort to smile and pretend everything’s fine. But you cannot deceive your loved ones, can you? My boyfriend’s been a real saint. I just cannot believe how clingy, dependent and insecure I’ve become.
I took Jasmine for 3 years, then stopped because my cholesterol levels had become way to high. After stopping the cholesterol went back to normal, but I had NO PERIOD for a year and half, developed acne (never had it before) and had endometrioses.
Last October in went back on the pill, being advised by my doctor to try YAZ, “the dream pill with no side-effects” (!!!!). Wrong choice. Looking back I realize how my mood was affected right away. I actually believe it influenced my decisions at work, making me less confident, and my life at home, due to my irritability. I started having suicidal thoughts during/after an argument. I felt very tired all the time, gained weight. I stopped going to the gym (I’ve always been very active) because I found it just too much. But it wasn’t until the heart palpitations started in July that I got scared. I read that many others of you experienced the horrible feeling of waking up in the middle of the night with tachycardia / heart palpitations. If feels as if your heart is going to explode. And then it got worse and worse. Some days I would just feel miserable and get upset for nothing, others absolutely numb. I thought I was going crazy. A part of me realized I was being irrational, but I could not do anything about it. It made me angry, worsening the stress. I just didn’t feel myself anymore. I still do, actually, but at least now I know I’m doing something about it (or rather, not poisoning myself anymore). I hope the mood swings will ease off soon, and that yaz withdrawal will be kinder. I just want to be normal again.
A big hug to all of you… together we can win!
xxx

Joined: 20 Sep 2011 Posts: 2 : Items

Feeling some mild anxiety & skin changes.

Joined: 21 Sep 2011 Posts: 1 : Location: BC, Canada Items

Hi Everyone,

Like so many of you, I too was clueless about the effects of BC and what it could possibly do to my body. I started taking Yasmin in 2007. My NP did all the necessary blood work and told me that all my systems were functioning normally, as I would suspect as a 24 year old. At first everything seemed normal, and it wasn’t until about 18 months after I started getting weird side effects. I would wake up in the night with my heart pounding/palpating so hard my body would shake. It fluttered and caused me to be lightheaded and short of breath. I thought it was just my body dealing with stress since I was in my 3rd year of my nursing degree. I definitely had a lowered sex drive and vaginal dryness, but I thought that was quite common with all BC. My bf (now husband Very Happy

) thought I was not into him anymore. I would break down and cry for no reason one night and then be happy-go-lucky the next day. I was always the life of the party and out of nowhere started becoming a homebody. I would get severe migraines at the same time every month to the point where I would take Advil as soon as I woke up because I knew it was eventually coming. Never once did I think these symptoms had anything to do with Yasmin.

I kept taking this pill until basically “life happened” and I finished my bachelor’s in nursing degree, got married, and moved to another city, last year. By this time I had already been taking Yasmin for 3 years. I wasn’t getting the heart palpitations frequently; they would only come and go every few months so I just associated them with stressful things going on in my life (i.e.: new career, new city, new friends, selling and buying our houses, etc.). In December 2010 the heart palps came on so suddenly while I was at work I almost fainted. My blood pressure and pulse were sky high, which was quite abnormal for me, since I have always been healthy (exercise, eating right). I also had a very bad headache. Thankfully I work at a hospital and the other nurses I work with urged me to go to emerg to get checked out. By the time they did the ECG, my heart was in sinus rhythm again. And all my labwork was normal. They said I was having a migraine with aura. They offered me pain medications and told me to take the rest of the day off to rest. I did just that then felt fine again the next day. I was getting so frustrated because I knew something was wrong with me and I didn’t know why they couldn’t put their fingers on it.

I don’t remember when I actually came across this website. Something
just popped in my head to do some research on Yasmin. I couldn’t believe what I read...so many of you were going through the same things as me! I was so relieved I had an answer to all my symptoms and felt pain from knowing others were suffering from this pill too. Anyways, I stopped taking Yasmin at the end of June 2011 as my husband and I decided we want to have children. And I immediately started taking supplements to replenish my body from the lost nutrients. The first month off was ok, but the last 3 weeks have been BRUTAL. I can barely get myself out of bed (I’m sure my shift work doesn’t help), NO energy whatsoever, headaches and aching muscles from my neck down to my feet everyday, dry, brittle nails and hair, elevated BP, and horrible acid reflux. I burp 100 times after I eat it’s disgusting. My bowels haven’t been very regular either and my head feels foggy. My husband asks me if I’m paying attention when we are talking but sometimes it feels like I’m in a daze. He is so supportive now that he knows it is because of this pill.

I had the heart palps again at work just last week and I went to emerg again. My ECG was normal, but they found my TSH levels were slightly elevated. The doctor wanted to start me on Synthroid, but I said no, because I want to try to heal my body naturally. I read that estrogen dominance can affect all hormones in the body, and I believe Yasmin did this to me. He had no clue about Yasmin’s effects and he didn’t even know there was a diuretic in it!! That same day I asked another physician to be my GP, and I have an appointment with her September 26th. I hope to get some more answers. I also started taking Kelp supplements to help my thyroid heal and other supplements to decrease the estrogen in my body and give me more energy by balancing my hormones (Maca supplements). Since my body is not healthy right now we have decided to wait to have children. I am hoping to heal relatively quickly and get back to the same old me Very Happy

I wish nothing but health and happiness to you all!!!

Good luck in your journeys/freedom from this poison! xoxox

Lauralee

Joined: 20 Sep 2011 Posts: 2 : Items

Hi Lauralee - My TSH is also high since stopping Yasmin & getting it checked, and I am hoping this is something that comes back into balance over time! I've read that eating a lot of cruciferous vegetables (kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, etc.) can also diminish thyroid function so I'm considering limiting them in my diet (though it's hard since I'm vegetarian and these are some of my favorite foods!). Best of luck and hope that you are able to avoid taking synthroid.
-Stephanie

Joined: 05 Jun 2010 Posts: 271 : Location: Texas Items

Hi Lauralee,

Wow, so sorry to hear about what you've gone through on the pill. Thankfully, you were able to find out what was causing your problems and stop it. I think it is very commendable that you want to heal naturally. I think that is absolutely the best thing, especially since you want to have children. Yasmin depletes so many nutrients from our bodies - I had a test done after I came off and I was low in B vitamins, zinc, and copper.
I had slightly elevated TSH levels when I came off of the pill as well, but after retesting a little over a year off, it was normal and my energy was SO much better. The pill depresses so many things, thyroid, adrenal, and hormone function. I've heard it called a "chemical castration" for women, which sounds harsh, but really that's what it is. It definitely takes time to heal from this and have your hormones "turn back on"..
As for seeing the doctor, all I can do is advise you to be cautious. Often, they will try to put you on more medication. It sounds like you listened to yourself about Yasmin, so I would just say trust yourself. I had great results working with a Naturopathic Doctor when I came off Smile

Hope you start feeling better soon!

Joined: 06 Sep 2011 Posts: 50 : Items

Hi, I didn't start having real bad side effects until I stopped the pill. I took it for about 10 months after I had my son and only stopped it because I thought it was making me tired all the time. 2 months after stopping the nightmare began. Shaking, high heart rate, scared, stomach issues, I didn't know what to think. Is this really the pill? Can it make your heart race faster even 4 months off? The doctors say its all anxiety, but its not from life circumstances it came out of know where. I can be laying in bed and my heart will race. I have had so many test done and no one can figure it out and the doctors really dont want to believe its yaz. Please tell me Im not crazy and that yaz can drive your heart rate up even 4 months off. I just want to feel better!

Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Posts: 138 : Items

sskane - I think you will find comfort here from many women who have been through the same and have struggled with a medical establishment that has no clue what the pill can really do to women. Your symptoms, unfortunately, sound a lot like many women on here, yes, you can blame the pill and no, you are not crazy.

I've been on here only a few months and it really saddens me to see how many women reach this forum desperate for answers, rejected by their MDs, tests that show nothing is wrong, and struggling to recover.

There's some wonderful, knowledgeable ladies on here. You will recover, with time. Best, Bee.

Joined: 06 Sep 2011 Posts: 50 : Items

Bee,

Is high heart rate even four months off common? Have you recovered? I have seen a cardiologist and had lots of test and they all come back normal. The doctors just say anxiety is making my heart beat so fast which I find that hard to believe when it can happen randomly. Thank you!

Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 658 : Items

Hi sskane1,

We can't be all wrong here - it is the pill, not you. 1st year is always tough. Don't be surprise I even had an irregular ECG pass my 2nd year and yet every test came out fine. It was a relapse and I remember I was going through a rough time when it happened. I am very much recovered now.

Do browse around here, you will find useful tips shared among us.

In my early days, I often brushed off by doctors who thought I was crazy, you know how it was when anxieties shot up and panic in our faces. I told them that if I was crazy, I don't think I have sense to seek their help. We all wouldnt be ended up here lol... Be assure - its the pill, NOT YOU.

Take care!

Leni

Joined: 11 Oct 2010 Posts: 252 : Items

sskane1,

Yes. High heart rate has been my main symptom. Please don't let this scare you, because you will probably recover faster than be, but I still deal with it. I've been off for over a year. I notice it gets worse when I eat a meal high in carbohydrates. If I stay hydrated and take magnesium supplements, it's much lower.

Lindsey

Joined: 06 Sep 2011 Posts: 50 : Items

Thank you! The high heart rate thing is just so scary! I just wish doctors would open there eyes to this and see how they are harming girls with this drug. Im glad I found this website and Im not alone. What do you do when your heart beats fast? I just get dizzy and tired and try to rest. Any ideas?

Joined: 06 Sep 2011 Posts: 50 : Items

Also, did anyone have bad chest pains randomly and could feel there pulse in legs or arms when there heart would beat fast?

Joined: 24 Feb 2011 Posts: 257 : Location: London Items

Hi sskane,
Yes, all your symptoms are very common after stopping the bill.
Have a read through the nutritional tread on the forum. Pill depletes lots of minerals and vitamins so supplementing those will speed up the healing. Be gentle to yourself, plenty of rest.
It is very scary time and it will take some time but you will get better!