Yasmin & Yaz Survivors

Joined: 06 Aug 2012 Posts: 3 : Items

What can i say. Im shocked and amazed by all your stories. Heres mine.

I took Yasmin for 3 weeks last November. From Day one had a really odd headache. I don't really get headaches so it was the first thing i noticed. Second thing being complete vaginal dryness. This bothered me as ive always been completely lubricated down there!

I continued with the first packet as like so many others i just thought these may subside. They didn't. As soon as id finished the packet the headache was gone. I decided no BC was worth this. So i stopped taking any more. The headaches went, my cycle stayed the same and all was fine down below... or so i thought...

First month off i had bad sleep disruption and very vivid dreams. I would wake up after 4 hours and then if i was lucky fall back asleep for a couple of hours which is when id usually dream. Id then wake up completely numb in my legs and arms. I put that down to a different bed...I was travelling for a month at the time so just put this down to changing time zones, tropics etc...This side effect is only now starting to subside...

Second and third months off was maybe the worst. I was going through a pretty rough time anyway. The death of two family members and then was hit by BAD tonsilitis. i remember saying to a friend that i hadnt been this sick since i was a teenager. It lasted 6 days and i put it down to stress. 2 weeks later i erupted in a very sore rash down below. All around my bum and vagina. My anxiety went through the roof. I went to STD clinics, doctors, all told me i had hemerroids and bad candidia infection. I have again NEVER had any problems down there. I then got bad bronchitis that lasted for about a month and then lingered on. i Can honestly say it was horrendous. My skin itched all over my legs - i would scratch and it would break and scab. Dermatitis on my scalp become like snow, I felt like i was losing my mind. Coupled with bad insomnia and still bad dreams. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. People were just telling me that i was going through a rough time, but i knew this wasnt right. My OCD got worse and worse...irrational thoughts, the lot. .

Now here's the interesting part. I knew it wasnt right because i have been through something similar before...only not with BC but with XANAX. About 7/8 years ago the exactly the same symptoms after coming off them (only on them for 10 days) Everything but the bad rash down below. The insomnia, the itchy skin, the obsessive thoughts, everything. Somewhere on this site a lady has posted about all the green veins becoming visible in her skin. This is exactly what happened to me after the Xanax and i believe YAsmin has had exactly the same effect when stopping...The similarities are uncanny. 8 years ago someone told me i probably had body dismorphia, but like the other lady on here, my skin was changing and i knew it. I believe that these are all rebound effects of coming off suppressants...which, having done loads of research on, you are generally supposed to be tapered off so you dont experience these massive highs and lows and your body gets used to balancing itself again....

7/8 months off and i am now going through periods of what feels like arthritis in my finger joints, wrists, my foot arches become pretty painful, minor knee pain, some muscle pain in my right thigh every now and then and in my bum cheeks. Not to mention tingling in my legs and occasionally arms.... My OCD comes and goes as does my depression and anxiety.

I tend not to talk to any other people than those i trust about it as most people label it down to hypochondria or think im dramatic or mad. I learnt that after the Xanax experience. but i also know this. I know my body. I accept that we cant always control what happens to it or us, but i believe the woman on here know their bodies. I go through periods of anger with my doctor for 1) not telling me Yasmin contains a steroid. 2) not even asking me if i was a smoker or suffered from depression or anxiety in the past 3) saying she loves this pill. I go through periods of anger with myself for even having taken it. Last year i loved life, was the healthiest and fittest ive ever been. This year has been a different story. And really after only 3 weeks of a low dose? its just so... upsetting actually.

This is what i can go on though. Having experienced these kind of withdrawals before, i know this all does subside. It takes time, but generally it does. I'm hoping that only 3 weeks of taking this pill hasn't done me any permanent damage... i really am. I get all of you. Its not all in your head. Our heads may exasperate things a little because we are not used to a lot of this effects, but this pill is especially nasty and should be banned. i Have friends that have been on it for years, a couple of which show the side effects whilst on it, but put it down to other things... I know people have to make their own choices. Ive had gentle talks with them all about it, but no one really wants to listen. Maybe they will be the lucky ones that dont have the withdrawals most of us here have experienced....

Id love to hear from you all xx

Joined: 06 Aug 2012 Posts: 3 : Items

I completely forgot to mention the gas and farting when i was on it - I could have blown my house down!!!!!! Laughing

Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:10 am

Thanks for the post Littlelantern. I, like yourself, took Yasmin for a period of 3 weeks and similarly, from day one felt that something wasn’t quite right. I remember telling my best friend: ”I feel like my head’s being messed with.”

Re-visiting this forum, I feel infuriated that women out there are STILL suffering from Yasmin and Yaz (I came off this pill over 4 years ago now) and I cannot understand why it has not been taken off the market!!

I am sorry to hear you have had a rough time and hope that things are starting to look up and you are feeling better. I received similar responses from my doctor as they really do think Yasmin and Yaz are so great!

Yes, unfortunately friends are unlikely to understand what you have gone through as they have not experienced it themselves and are therefore unlikely to listen to your advice and stay off the pill. Shutting my mouth and letting my friends make their own decisions in regards to this pill was something that I struggled with for the longest of time. I have now accepted that no matter how many times I try and explain, they will not listen and now I just pray that no one else I care for has to go through what I did!

Joined: 14 Oct 2012 Posts: 2 : Items

I remember when I first started taking Yaz I felt so sick and nauseous at night during the first couple of weeks. After the first week I also felt the same way, like someone was tinkering with my head. I figured I would get through it so I continued to take it.

I have been on Yaz for almost a year now and looking back I realize all the horrible side effects I have experienced from taking this pill (cramps in my legs, painful headaches I've never had before, irritability, moodyness, basically going for calm to angry in a split second, getting horrible thoughts of self harm).

I don't know why I didn't connect the two until this morning but as of today I am going to stop taking Yaz and either stop taking BC in general or talk to my doctor about switching.

My boyfriend doesn't understand and he thinks I am "blaming" the pill for the way I am (super irritable all the time, etc.), however I haven't always been this way and looking back I can see that this pretty much all began when I started Yaz. Perhaps I am a moody person normally (as most girls are lol) but maybe the Yaz has magnified it.

I just hope that my withdrawal isn't horrible. I just want to be normal again and happy.

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

Hello Bev and welcome to the forum.

Well done on stopping the pill - most important step to get better.
I just really want to warn you about trying another pill. They are all synthetic hormones that are basically making you body thing it's pregnant!!! That just cannot be possibly good for you. It all against the nature!
I'm one of few on this forum who never took Yas or Yasmine. I was on Mercilon and I lost 3 years of my life. When I stopped I was basically bed-ridden for almost 15 month.
I'm not wrting this to scare you, I just don't want you to fall in the trap of simply switching to another pill. There are natural options available. 'Taking charge of your fertility' is a great book that I would strongly recommend!

I hope your recovery will be quick and smooth. Please come back to tell us how you are doing.

Hugs,

Kat

Joined: 22 Jan 2013 Posts: 6 : Items

I have been on Yasmin for the 18 months. I previously had an Implenon implant in my arm, which I had no issues with. After having that taken out I decided to have a break of contraception. I was in a long term relationship with my ex boyfriend and we both decided would be better for me to give my body a rest for a while.

However after a year we broke up, and I met someone else. I decided to go back onto some form of contraception. I live in Kenya and you can buy the pill over the counter here. I decided to go onto Yasmin as its the pill all my friends are on and the Doctor said it would suit me as no side effects, I have no health issues what so ever.

6 months into being on Yasmin, I had no side-effects really. However I discovered I had a 6 inch kidney cyst on my right kidney. I had to fly to the middle east to get operated on. After my operation I had 4 weeks rest and then headed back to work. I was working as a shadow teacher to a girl with FAS. On my first day back at work I had a panic attack, I was terrified, did not know what was happening to me and thought it was the after effect of the operation. My eye sight went blurry, my hands went tingly and my mouth felt like it was swollen. I forgot simple words like car and it seemed like my brain was losing its memory. This lasted for half an hour. I left work early, took another week off. I had no idea that was a panic attack until a few months later. I am not the type of person to get worried, anxious or up tight about anything I just thought my body was stressed from the operation and maybe an after effect of the anesthetic as I had never had it before.

I am also currently studying for my Masters, in Switzerland. I spend two months of the summer in Switzerland at my university and the rest of the year in Kenya, where I live and work. When I headed off to Switzerland in June last year, 4 months after my kidney operation, I decided to get off the pill and give my body a rest for 3 months. I wasn't having any side effects but I don't like the thought of putting hormones into my body when I don't need to be. My boyfriend came to meet me in Europe for a month after I had finished my studying. When we got back to Kenya I had another awful panic attack, 3 days into our return. I still didn't know what a panic attack was. Same symptoms as before, I thought I was having a mini stroke. We rushed to the Doctors who told me I was depressed and suffering from burnout. Having just got back from a lovely holiday and moving into our first home I knew that I wasn't depressed and there was something else going on. 2 days later I found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately I lost my baby within 5 weeks.

I decided to go back onto Yasmin. We had just started moving house and the loss of the baby. I wasn't ready to try again.

I threw myself into work, I own an NGO where I work Thursday and Saturday, am in my final year of my Masters so was working on my Thesis and running a project in Babadogo slum on Thursday mornings. I also have a 9-5 office job where I work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I was working like this for 4 months, very happy. I'm young, energetic, love all my work I do, I work with amazing people, Live with the most amazing boyfriend, have two lovely dogs, beautiful friends and a very supportive family. I laugh all the time, and find the funny side in pretty much everything, my medicine is laughter and always has been.

2 weeks ago I suddenly got hit by this awful feeling after being back on Yasmin for four months:

Friday: I started feeling very tired at work, sore ear and vertigo. I thought its just been a long week I'm exhausted.
Saturday afternoon: I went to work at my NGO, still feeling completely exhausted, fuzzy head and anxiety I got to work and freaked out. I knew there was no way I could work. I thought I was going to have a panic attack and got extremely emotional. My boyfriend had to come pick me up. Completely unlike me!!! Was embarrassed and felt bad letting people down.

Sunday morning: I woke up with such extreme anxiety, fuzzy head, over emotional and exhausted after sleeping for 14 hours. I decided to go to doctor as I knew I really wasn't well. The doctor saw me and diagnosed me with mild depression and gave me Prozac which I didn't take. I truly believed in me that I am not the person to just get depression and I don't need to take pills to fix it if I have.

Monday: I went to work at the office. Exhausted all day, my eyesight had altered and everything seemed fuzzy. My dad came to stay that evening and I had a complete and utter melt down, emotional wreck!!! So so so out of my character. My dad was extremely concerned. Thought I have put too much on my plate with all my work etc. He called my Uncle who is a doctor and got me to speak to him who advised me to take Prozac till my symptoms died down. Still didn't take it. On Monday I considered it could have been Yasmin making me feel the way I was, I took the pill 2 hours late and felt absolutely fine until I took it, then I started becoming anxious, emotional, exhausted, couldn't focus on anything at work and fuzzy headed. I soon as I took it I felt terrible. I can't explain to you how crippling the effects are. I couldn't cope with anything, completely soul destroying. And for the Doctors to throw Prozac at me and tell me to slow down. It made the whole situation worse. I felt like I was going insane. I knew it was something physical causing this strange illness. I quit university for this year, decided there was no way I could continue on with university when I was feeling the way I was. There was no way I could focus on any research or put any energy into the project I was running in the slum. I have let down lots of vulnerable people and I feel terrible. I had not at this point figured out that it was Yasmin making me feel like this, I was so worried and concerned that I would never get better. It was the worst days of my life. My family were all so concerned and my boyfriend was extremely worried, my personality changed in the space of a day and I become a completely different person. I had to cancel project in slum. I don't have the energy or capacity to do anything productive. I'm terrified about these side effects. H
Tuesday: back to work with anxiety, exhaustion, fuzzy head. started Bikram yoga in the evening to help the "diagnosed depression".
Wednesday morning: I woke up and had spotting when I shouldn't be (8 days before end of Yasmin contraceptive pill packet). I suddenly have an aha moment. This is all caused by Yasmin. I felt very similar when I was pregnant, it's my hormones and Yasmin is doing something to me it shouldn't be. I stopped taking Yasmin straight away. Went to another doctor who told me I was just over stressed and I needed to slow down. I decided to go to my gyno to discuss other non hormonal options, as I know that its hormones making me feel like this and not stress or depression. Had a Pap smear which came back with cervical erosion, waiting to find out full results which I will get tomorrow. On Wednesday evening I type my symptoms and Yasmin into Google and found this amazing blog, and finally knew that I wasn't going insane. It was such an amazing relief, I was so thankful that I had listened to myself and that I am in touch with my body otherwise I could have spent years on Prozac!
My anxiety completely went on Thursday, but I still had fuzzy head and was very exhausted.. On Friday I felt that little bit better, more energy but still a fuzzy head and tired. Saturday was an AWFUL day, I was so exhausted, emotional and fuzzy head - think this was because I got my bleeding on Sunday.
Since Sunday I have been improving everyday, no more emotional break downs, no anxiety. I would say I'm 90% there. I have been going to Bikram yoga everyday since this all happened, taking vitamin B and C and drinking lots of fruit smoothies and water. I'm really slowing everything down trying to get better. I have only been off Yasmin for 5 days but from what I have read of other women's experiences it takes 3 months to get back to normal. There is no way I am capable of doing my thesis, coping day to day is hard enough at the moment and I want to get all these nasty effects out of my body.
Yasmin is disgusting. This drug should never have been allowed on the market, it's debilitating.
The last 10 days really have been the worst few days of my life. The worst part about it is that I had to figure out myself what was going on with me and why. The doctors have no idea and haven't even heard of these terrible side effects that thousands are suffering from. Felt such little support from doctor who is meant to help you in time of need but instead threw Prozac at me making me think I mental disorder! It's horrible. I went to three different doctors who just looked at me as if I was having a break down because I'm an emotionally unstable person, which I am not, but the more they didn't understand me the more up set and wound up you get.

Funny thing is, my mums best friend has been on Prozac for the last year because of exactly the same symptoms as me. Her father died 2 years ago. She thought she had depression but was surprised as she is a very upbeat person. I told my mum I'm pretty sure my symptoms are due to Yasmin, told her exactly how I was feeling. She said funny because Julia (her best friend) has had exactly the same symptoms for last two years and she is on Yasmin. She told her best friend who immediately realized it is the pill causes her symptoms.
When I spoke to my best friend, who has been a sufferer of panic attacks and anxiety all her life , she was shocked to hear what I had been through. She started on Yasmin two weeks ago and last week she couldn't leave her apartment for 3 days because she felt so terrible with anxiety. She know knows that it was more than likely the Yasmin causing that and has gone off it.

I am just taking my time to get better, every day seems better than the last. I have decided to have a coil, I do not trust anything with hormones involved anymore. Horrible thing for anyone to go through. Good luck to everyone getting better Smile

xxx