Yasmin and depression anxiety

My 15year old daughter has just stopped taking Yasmin due to severe depression, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, suicidal thoughts and chest pain with erratic heartbeat. I thank God that we figured out the connection to Yasmin. She has been spiraling down so quickly, I thought I was losing her. While she does not relish the return of heavy, long periods, she is so ready to have her sanity back. Her counselor and gyn confirm the strong likelihood of these being side effects of the Yasmin. I was ready to put her on Prozac and sleeping pills because the situation was so desperate! While I was on Yasmin for years with no adverse effects, there ARE people who are desperate because of this pill! The hundreds of posts are too numerous to ignore the REAL truth. Is is worth it to "just try it out" for a boob inflation? You are taking a serious risk, sweetheart!

Okay, I don't have any side effects, but I do want to know something important!
I'm 16 years old and i REAALLLY want someone (who knows about the Yasmin pill!) to help me out with this one. Tomorrow i am going to the doctor with my mom. I have irregular menstruation. Like 2 or one week before it's supposed to come. I also get cramps, which are just enough to hold out...But the thing is, i just want to get the Yasmin pill. I heard that it clears your skin (although i don't have acne or anything) and it can make your breast bigger.. I have like a A-cup and bigger breast are nicer.
But now I read these bad experiences and I'm just scared to start it.. But still i wanna try it, 'cause I can stop right after it starts to become bad, right??
Please give me a good and useful answer!

Thanx!
A confused girl

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 just started Yasmin on June 22nd, now it is the 25th....I am noticing light headaches, but more bothersome is the bloated feeling in my abdomen/stomach area. My stomach feels thick, like it is expanding. I hope I don't end up gaining a ton of weight as I have always been a normal weight and kind of athletic. I actually started on Yasmin b/c I just got married and also I eventually want to quit the Paxil that I have been taking since early 2001. I have tried 2 times to quit Paxil and have had a difficult time and have noticed that when I am not on the Paxil or am on a low dosage of it, I have sever PMS, depression, anxiety, etc....hopefully Yasmin will help deter these symptoms when I do try to quit Paxil again.
Has anyone else tried to use Yasmin as a helper in quitting Paxil/ to alleviated PMDD symptoms? I know one of you is considering using Yasmin for PMDD symptoms...DON'T go on Paxil for it as that is THE HARDEST medication to quit! There is a lawsuit against the makers of that drug too!

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.

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

ok...so i was on yasmin from the age of 17 to about 20 for irregular periods and had no problems. i stopped taking it due to forgetting to take it and my periods had become fine. i'm now 23 and just started taking yaz last month for increasing pain, nausea, and mood swings associate with PMS. i now experience extreme mood swings. i have always had some depression, anxiety, and irritability...but since i have started taking it, i have noticed an increase in these feelings. i am a 4th year pharmacy student and don't have the time or energy to feel like this. i become irritable and angry at the smallest things or no reason at all. i also just feel the urge to cry and do for the same reasons...none. i have done some research on mood disorders and the correct diagnosis of such. since my symptoms were present before and i also have ADD and mild OCD, i'm not sure if it is the yaz causing these feelings or if with all that's going on in my life, a underlying mood disorder has come to surface. for most who don't know...mood disorders are most often genetic and are seen with concominant mood disorders (depression with anxiety, ADD, OCD, etc..). my family suffers from most if not all of these (mom- major depressive disorder, ADHD; dad- anxiety, OCD; brother- ADHD, OCD, mild depression). also, most mood disorders show up during the later teens to late 20's. so my big issue is whether or not my feelings/mood swings are attributed to the "pill" or just a surfaced problem. i have looked into a disorder called cyclothymic disorder. this is when you have depression with hypomania (irritability that doesn't fit the criteria for manic-so not bipolar). i just don't know who to see or what to do. i have a psychologist and i am hoping to get in to seeing him ASAP. anyone got any input or advice?

I've been on Yasmin for about 8 months. After another totally neurotic night of fighting with my boyfriend and waking up this morning totally depressed, lying in bed crying for over an hour on a Saturday morning, I figured it was time to google Yasmin and read up on side effects.

What a relief to know I'm not crazy! Since I started Yasmin in the fall, I've lost all desire to do anything productive that used to bring me joy, like gardening, reading, etc. I have HUGE anxiety issues right now that seem to cause completely irrational behavior. I snap at people and often want to do nothing but lie in bed with the covers over my head. I can't tell you how many times in the last month I've felt like I hate everyone. This is NOT me.

Also, my breasts swelled immediately upon taking this pill, which I actually like! So at first I thought Yasmin was great. I do get a lot of bloating and back pain right before my period - and fatigue, depression, anxiety and loss of sex drive. Now that I'm reading up on it, I don't Yasmin is for me - although it may be great for somebody else.

I am 26 years old and was prescribed Yasmin to help deal with Polycystic Fibrosis. I have been on it 6 weeks and immediately saw weight gain, but this past week I have had an EXTREME loss of breath. I am a teacher and began breathing as if I had just run around the block after I simply walked down the hallway. I haven't seen that anyone else has mentioned this, please let me know if you have

Hi all,

I am 27 and I have been on Yasmin for about 5 months now. Initially the doctor put me on it for depression/anxiety and moodswings. Apparently the constant dose of hormones (especially progesterone) helps your body control emotions and moods. And even in Singapore, there has been a LOT of advertisements on this drug and i know many of my friends are on it too. THe doctors here are huge advocates of this drug.

In the first 3 months of being on the pill, i had really bad side effects - ranging from sore breasts to chest pain to insomnia. But the last two months have been relatively symptom free. Infact, I have lost weight and my skin looks great! My boyfriend and parents claim that my mood is more stable and I am more confident.

But for some reason after reading all these posts about how for some women the nightmare continues even after stopping the pill, I am so scared to stop it!! Do you guys have any idea how long the symptoms continue after stopping the pill??

Hi everyone i just started taking yasmin a week an a half ago and was told by the doctor that this is the best one out there for people wanting less side effects. Previous to this pill i was on levlen ed for about 1 1/2 years and i had
: weight gain, depression, anxiety, crying constantly, mood swings, bloating, IBS, severe reaadtions to caffeine i had to change to caffeine free soft drinks and water

as soon as i went off this pill i lost 5 kg in 2 weeks i really want to know if yasmin is ok to take or should i just stick to nothing because im seriously worried about having these symptoms again the weight gain especially!

any success stories on this pill or anything would help me make up my mind

Hello All,

Not to discount the individual experience of the last post, I feel it important to remind readers of this site of the many many women who like myself developed devastating symptoms (depression, anxiety, vertigo etc) OVER A YEAR AND A HALF after they began taking it. Like the previous post, if I had found this site during my first year and a half on yasmin I would have thought 'those poor women, thank god it hasn't affected me like that'.

The point is this...I stopped taking yasmin 2 years ago after realising it was the cause of my mental health problems (with no history of such) and can thankfully say I am now back to my 'old self' i.e before yasmin. I have made it my mission to educate all women I know about this pill as I truly believe it is poison. Of all the women I know who have taken it I am yet to hear a positive story.

Please don't delay...I would not wish my experience on my worst enemy. I won't be happy until this evil pill is off the market.

On a clinical level, remember this...Yasmin is a very young pill and consequently does not have the clinical trials data to fall back on. In my last 2 years of research of the contraceptive pill (& my background is science) I am yet to come across a pill that has received such negative a reception as yasmin/yas.

I myself will never go on another pill. To know how your entire being can change, your perceptions of the world, your relationships...all because of a little pill. The power that little pill has is terrifying.

I wish all women recovering from this pill all the very best. I have been where you are and am now on the other side. Each day is a step closer to the real healed you. Be strong and be sure to talk about how you're feeling.

Take care

I've been on Yasmin for... honestly I'm not sure... at least a year, maybe closer to two years. I started (and still am) taking Yasmin because I had such painful periods that my doctor thought birth control pills would help.
At first I loved Yasmin and didn't have any problems... my periods were shorter and not as painful, and I didn't have any side affects that I could see.

This time last year, I developed insomnia, and I am someone who NEVER has had problems sleeping. There was alot going on in my household and I thought it was from stress... I finally ended up DROPPING OUT of high school in my senior yaer and doing independent study because I had depression, anxiety and insomnia that kept me from attending and I was at risk of not graduating. I took sleeping pills for awhile, but eventually my insomnia went away and I could function more. In addition to insomnia, I developed severe depression that kept me home and I stopped contact with all of my friends, stopped doing the things that I loved and my personality disappeared completely. This, too, went away after some time and I developed new symptoms.

Around summertime, I started getting daily headaches that were annoying. These annoying headaches turned into SEVERE migraines that would land me in the hospital... at one point I was in so much pain I remember thinking that I would rather die than deal with these headaches any longer. Daily migraines kept me home and my social life ended completely. Just like my insomnia, after awhile, my migraines got better and went away, although they come back sometimes (as well as my insomnia)... like a few times a month.

Now (in the past 2-3 months), I've been getting sicker and sicker and I had no idea why until I found this website. I have muscle pain and weakness 24/7, and when I'm not at work I'm laying on my couch at home and I don't do ANYTHING anymore... I don't go out with my friends, I don't want to get dressed, my room is the messiest it's been in years because I have no energy to clean it and I feel like I'm going crazy. My doctors have recently tested me for mono, diabetes, underactive thyroid, and a few other diseases and have found nothing. In addition to these symptoms I've had (periodically) experienced:

*ringing in my ears - enough to make me stop what i'm doing and make sure my ears are still working.
*chest pains
*numbness in parts of my body - usually when I'm falling asleep... the other night my lips went numb for a few seconds.
*severe acid reflux
*stomach problems - unexplained constipation and diarhhea without changing diet or anything else.
*faintness - i've nearly passed out two different times in the past two weeks, and i've never passed out in my life.
*muscle pain 24/7
*muscle weakness
*what i call "mini migraines" - i don't get the pain of a migraine, but i get slight nausea and the odd sensations or disorientation that i normally get before a migraine. for three weeks i would randomly get these "episodes" where everything looked strange and then that would develop into a mini anxiety attack.
*anxiety attacks - i've never been a person with much nervousness or anxiety but have experienced at least one full-blown attack in the past 2 months.
*dizziness - sometimes out of nowhere, and sometimes it wakes me up at night.
*nausea - for a month straight, every morning when i woke up i would feel nauseous... but like every other symptom, it eventually went away.
*loss of appetite - just in the past week. i force myself to eat but honestly have no appetite. last night i went to bed without dinner because of it.

These are most of the physical side affects that bother me on a regular basis, and after finding this website I have decided to stop taking Yasmin completely.

My thoughts go out to the ladies who are so completely ill that they have sickness every single day because of this pill. I think that it should be taken off of the market. Obviously certain pills don't work for certain people, but this website is proof that this pill could be deadly in many cases.

Ok... Here is my complete list of side effects from this horrible drug...
Major depression, anxiety attacks, rapid heart rate, insomnia, shortness of breath, jerking arms and legs, weight gain, bloating, paranoia, excessive crying spells, night sweats. I hate this pill! Im never going to be on birth control again!
Tracy

Thanks Tracy!

It began with depression, anxiety and insomnia. Abdominal pains and constipation followed. Then on December 19th the jitters started. I was driving (4 kids in the car) and I suddenly thought I was having a heart attack! There was this fluttery feeling in my chest and I felt dizzy, like I might faint. I was terrified. That was what led me to research Yasmin withdrawal online and was when I found this wonderful site. It was so comforting to read that other women had experienced the same symptoms (and hadn't had heart attacks!) The jitters got worse before they got better. The fluttery feeling spread to my arms and legs and I twitched in the night, plus I had restless legs. However that is now much improved. I suspect it may vary with my cycle though and may come back just after my next period (which was the timing on the last one.)

Hope that helps.

Anna

hi anna,
you asked if anyone had had thyroid problems whilst on yasmin???? i had a hypothyroid before i started taking yasmin due to autoimmune hashimotos. my levels had been the same for 2 years before i started to take yasmin,with 8 months of taking yasmin i needed my dose upped twice so there is definately a link. thyroxine is a hormone so i suppose that it stands to reason that all our hormones may well be affected not just the estrogen and progesterone levels in our body. birth control pills also seem to affect the neurotransmitters in our brains that control seratonin,dopamine and melatonin,that would explain the depression,anxiety and emotional instability a lot of us suffer from too.

sarah.

hi kim123.
keep track of your periods,make a note of when you are ovulating etc,you may see some changes in feelings and behaviour. i think silke suggested writting a diary every day of your feelings,sensations,aches and pains. i did that too and it helped me spot a pattern in my mood changes but it also shows me how much i have improved since i stopped taking yasmin in june. i know it seems like you will never be normal again but you will it will just take a little time. unfortunately there is no magic number of time that makes us better,it just takes as long as it takes,please try not to become depressed and low as this will only make things worse. have you tried going for a nice long swim? i found swimming to be very relaxing. when i was at my worst i spent quite a few hours in the pool as swimming forces you breath properly and your brain needs to be concentrating on co-ordinating your arms and legs to keep you afloat! excercise is also one of the best ways to help your system to recover,you will sweat out excess hormones etc there have been lots of studies on diet and excercise for women with hormonal problems and pms/pmdd and also depression/anxiety. it is certainly worth a try. i am so sorry i cannot just say..hey take this it will cure everything you are going through,i have never found just one thing that helped me but all the little things accumulate and make a pretty good start. i felt like you about the anti depressants etc.my doctor kept trying to give them to me but i was too scared of the side effects to even consider them,they may have helped me i don't know,i chose positive thinking.cognitive behaviour techniques, healthy diet,excercise and vitamin/mineral supplements but that may not be right for everyone.we all have to find our own way through, but know that you have the support of everyone here.

dejay,
yes i got really greasy hair after i stopped yasmin,i lost loads of hair too,thankfully it is growing back now! i don't get the cystic spots on my scalp i have them all around the front of my ears and down the sides of my neck,they are gross and really sore. i also get a monthly outbreak of really huge sore spots on my chin and jaw line. i hate them but would rather have them than feel how i did whilst i was on yasmin. my skin was lovely on it,it's just a shame it turned me into a complete basket case that could not step foot outside of the front door to show off my lovely skin!

best wishes to you ladies.

hi jillybean. good luck with the diet i hope it goes well for you. i have tried the 5-htp as i heard it could be beneficial for depression/anxiety. I only took it for a few days as i have IBS and it gave me 4 days worth of stomach cramps and diarreah, i also found that if i took it at night it gave me really vivid dreams. bad effects aside i did feel calmer taking it but it was just no good for me as i have a sensitive tummy. i only add this as i know a lot of us run out and buy anything in the hope that it will help (i know i have spent a fortune on herbal supplements in the last year!) i'm not saying don't try it but on some web sites it does not recommend it if you have a history of bowel or GI problems,i only found this out after i starting getting stomach cramps! for those of you taking low dose anti-depressants it could be worth trying if you want to get off the prescription meds.there have been some really good reports about 5-htp working just as well as some AD's.
(no not take this whilst taking anti-depressants,it may be worth checking with your health care provider to make sure you are ok to take it and that it will not interact with any other meds you may be on.)

keep fighting the good fight ladies and remember what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

Hello everyone,

it is great to find this side and to see I´m not alone with these problems.
I also had all these symptoms (depression, anxiety, headache, qualm, dizzy etc.) while taking yasmin (for five years), but I always thought I`m making them up by myself.
Now I´m off yasmin since nearly five weaks and in the beginning I felt good, but since my period and even some days before and even now (my period started 8 days ago) I feel really bad. I feel very very tired, I can`t really move my hands, fingers, legs etc. I have the feeling I´m carrying hundred of stones in me. And I feel often nausa. I have a headache. Can somebody tell me if this is normal, because I´m not taking the pill since five weeks and how long do I have to deal with these problems. I feel like half a person.:-(

Thanks!!!

Maggy

hi everyone, thanks for the response and great advice for my daughter. As you know she is almost 18 and has suffered all the depression/anxiety symptoms. She went to a fantastic psychologist a couple of days ago, he says she has social anxiety, and yes that is exactly what it is, the anxiety kicks in when she has to go to a party, work, away to our holiday house for the weekend etc. He along with the doctor have not dismissed a problem with hormones causing all of this, So now she is learning ways on how to cope with the anxiety, is going to ease herself back to work and we just hope that she will improve bit by bit. Its incredible to think that she is on a high dose of lexapro{40mg} and stil suffering from extreme bouts of anxiety. I think that any woman suffering from these dreadful side effects of yasmin must do all they can to improve their quality of life, whether it be vitamins, massage, councilling or what ever may help in any small way, these things may help your wellbeing and assist you to have a complete recovery. good luck to all

Hi everyone, thanks for the response about my daughter, i need to explain her symptoms a little better.
Shr's been off yasmine 5 weeks now and had 2 and a half great weeks, she was confidant, happy a complete turnaround to the depressed girl of before, she has struggled on and off for some time, she has suffered from depression, anxiety and all the problems that go with it such as nervous vomiting shaking not being able to sleep, self harming the list goes on, so when she was well it was a great relief, we thought it must be the yasmin.
She went down a little at about 3-4 days before her period by the second day of her period she was back in the deep pit of depression, now her period is all but finished and there is hardly any improvement, everything ive read on this site the women say they begin to suffer from ovulation until there period, that wasn't the case with my daughter, she has suffered terribly during her period.
That makes me question if it is yasmin cuasing hormone problems, or if it is a form of depression, ive even considered maybe bipolar which scares the hell out of me.
She is on lexapro and her doctor has yet again increased her dose to 40mg which is a worry to me, it is a concern that she is still having these problems while on antidepressants, her mood has gone up and down to the extreme, what can we do, some advice would be greatly appreciated

For eight years I was on Ortho Tri low - no problems until my doctor suggested I change because of the length of time I was on them. I have been taking Yasmin for 4 years now and have had the following side effects which I did not contribute to the Yasmin until I am now looking back after reading these posts:

When I first starting taking Yasmin I had a SEVERE personality change. I used to be a go-getter, confident, aggressive, hard worker, perfectionist, never procrastinated, and an over-achiever. I didn't understand why, but I just stopped caring about how far I got in my career, whether my house was clean, etc. I thought I was just depressed or something? Although I didn't really feel depressed, but more of just a lack of motivation. I started to get diarihea and then an anxiety over being depressed or "not normal" I finally went to the doctor after losing a bunch of weight and he prescriped be with an antidepressent. I never took the antidepressants because I really wanted to try to deal with the issues myself before going to that extreme.

Four years later I'm the same way. I've never been the same since, although the diariahea has subsided. I thought I had just changed when I met my now husband, until I found this site and have read some of these posts and realized it was also the exact time I started taking Yasmin.

Over the last three years I have developed anxiety and a needy, clingy personality, a total anxiety and irrational fear of losing my husband. It started to get so bad that when my husband was away I would get sick to my stomach and at times vomit and become fatigued or have irrational thoughts and panic attacks that I had no control over. It has disrupted my relationship enough that I started to see a therapist and the stress of it all has had horrible side effects on my body.

I am wondering now if this was all because of Yasmin? I am 28 years old and never have had a history of depression, anxiety, etc before this.

I also now have dark spots on my face around my eyes and on my cheeks and forhead, which I new were a side effect of the birth control. I asked my doctor if switching to some other brand would help and he said that any birth control can have that effect if you are in the sun. I just decided if I wanted to be on birth control that I had to start wearing sunscreen while in the sun.

In the last two years I have been to doctors and ENT's for a ear infections and sore throats, which they contribute to allergies. That was something I never had before either. I've never had allergies in my life, but doctors would insist that I had developed them. I never would have linked this to my pills, but I am now!

I found this site only because I was thinking of soon having children and wanted to find out what effects of discontinuing the use would have on my body. I wish I had found it 3-4 years ago!!!

I am going to stop taking Yasmin and maybe birth control all together. I'm afraid switching to another pill would just cause a whole new slew of problems, because lets face it, there is nothing natural about them.

I only hope that I can recover and I thank god for such a wonderful husband because I know at times I was unbearable to deal with: fighting, crying, feeling depressed and insecure. All things that are NOT part of my personality 4 years ago. Hearing that it could all be from my pill is both encouraging (that there is hope for me to stop this behavior now) and heartbreaking that I have basically lost the last 4 years of my life.

Thank you to all who posted to this site!

hi, sorry to hear that your daughter has gone down hill again. unfortunately this is a really common problem, a lot of us that had depression/anxiety and scary thoughts find we still have problems during our ovulation and also right before our periods, it does get easier each month but it is still there. i can imagine at the moment she is doubting herself and is thinking "what if it is not the yasmin after all and i am actually mentally ill"? she would not be alone in that thought,we have all been there. i have been off yasmin for 6 months now and most of the time i can handle it,my anxiety levels day to day are very low but pre-menstrally it can still throw me know and again and have me thinking the same thought,but i know it is not true,it is just my hormones trying to recover. pms A has most of the symptoms we all suffer so i have concluded that instead of helping with pms yasmin can actually cause it. it seems like all we can do is wait and have faith that it will get better and also take care of our bodies nutritionally and physically. i really hope that your daughter starts to feel better soon,she is sooo young and should not have to suffer this at her age. she is obviously a very responsible young lady and thought that taking yasmin was a positive thing to do, we have all suffered the consiquences of taking this poison but luckily we are all here to support each other and to reasuure each other that it does get better.you are doing a wonderful job of supporting your daughter,that will be a great help to her. i really do wish you and her all the best,look up pms A symotoms and see if there are any tips to help on a monthly basis.

sarah

My daughter has the same problem, deep pain in the vagina when inserting tampons and during sex, we dont know if it is related to yasmine or not. She has had all the other side effects; depression/anxiety, mood swings, frequent urination the list goes on.
She has been off the pill for four weeks yesterday and is feeling great, the last two weeks have been a complete turnaround, she is happy at work, where as before she was really struggling.
She hopes to slowly go off the antideppressants that were prescribed, we are just hoping that she is over the worse of it, she is only 17 and should be enjoying life.
As for the vaginal pain, i will ask her if there is an improvement since stopping the pill and let you know

Thanks for the response i have had, I find it amazing that a pill can be doing so much harm to so many women and most doctors not believing that it could. Thankfully we have a doctor that thinks maybe it is, because he knows that the pill has been responsible for causing depression and mood swings although he was under the belief that yasmin has a good reputation. My daughter has decided to not take any contraceptive pill for 3 months and then look at trying something else, so we can only hope that condoms are reliable.
She has just had a great week, she looks happy, has enjoyed work, she is extremely lucky that her bosses are understanding, they have been fantastic to her.
I do believe that maybe the diuretic in yasmin may be causing all these side effects or it could be the different type of hormones that are in it, god knows what it is but it will be interesting to see if any of the other little problems she has had for the last 2 years disappear.
Another problem she has had which we dont know what the cause is pain deep in the vagina when inserting a tampon and having sex, she has had a vaginal ultra sound and tests done for infections and diseases but nothing has been found wrong, she is meant to go to a gyno but hasnt as yet because of the depression/anxiety , we have been so busy trying to get her feeling better in herself but that will be the next hurdle. I would be interested to know if anyone else has had this problem while taking yasmine.
In time hopefully she will be able to get off the lexapro, it has been great reading all the other postings, they have helped us realise that the side effects from yasmine vary so much and that things that you think couldnt be caused from the pill possibly are.
Thanks so much to everyone for helping me understand a bit more about yasmin, it looks like my daughter is very much on the improve, we just hope she keeps going like this. Depression is such a dibilitating illness that many dont understand, the doctors kept saying that something must have happened to my daughter to cause the depression but she couldnt thing of anything, little did the doctors realise that the something was probably yasmin

hi, my daughter has been off yasmin for 3 weeks today, she was diagnosed with depression earlier this year. I thought for a long time that it could be the pill but doctors assured us that yasmine was a great pill.
She has felt that she has had depression for 2 years, so i dont know if it was just yasmine causing this or the pill in general, she has been on yasmine since august last year and was on it for some time before that.

She was put on lexapro which worked wonders for the depression/anxiety but about a month ago she went down hill and the doc increased her lexapro to30mg which didnt help, she could hardly work, she is a receptionist and could not answer the phones she lost all confidence in herself, she has suffered from nausea, has turned off some food that she always enjoyed , felt lethargic, anxiety attacks, hive like rash on her stomach and back, getting up during the night to wee.
My beautiful daughter is only 17, she has a boyfriend who adores her, yet she had become this exhausted, panicky shell of herself.
A new doctor told us it could be the pill, so she has stopped taking it, the last week has been a complete turn around, she has gone to work all week, seems very happy and confident again, stopped going to the toilet during the night. Could it be from stopping the yasmine? it seems so quick.
She is taking multi B supplements, she had borderline levels of b12.
I'm quite sure that yasmine caused all these problems but there is a slight chance the turn around could be from the increase of lexapro or the vitamins. I'd be interested to hear others thoughts

mood swings, depression, anxiety, fatigue, lack of energy and lack of motivation

Flowerbabies,
Thank you so much for you response! I have been really worried that something more severe might be going on, but have to keep reminding myself that these symptoms started when I started taking Yasmin!!!!! I hate that pill....it has really screwed me up. The dizziness is the same for me as you described. Sometimes it is just brief periods and then other times it will last on and off all day. I have started taking b6 and magnesium. I was also given this herbal pill called holy basil(it is helful for restoring balance). So far I really like them and can see some progression. I am going to get my progesterin and estrogen levels checked as well as talk to my doctor about estrogen dominance. I went to the doctor 3 times before I figured out what was going on and found this website?? What really made me mad was how my ob reacted. She was telling me that I might have depression/anxiety problems!!??!? It made me so angry that I have switched doctors. Anyways, Thank you so much for responding and encouraging me to keep the faith. This website is really the only thing that reminds me that it will get better!!! I hope you continually feel better!! Thank you again!

I was on Yasmin for 3 years. I started having SEVERE panic attacks during those 3 years, and saw several psychologists and a psychiatrist who put me on Klonopin. They all said that I had anxiety disorder. I stopped taking the Yasmin after finding this website, but sadly my life has never been the same. I feel better than I did before, but it really messed my thought patterns up in that I still get nervous now in situations/places where I got anxious while on Yasmin.

I wanted to tell you all about something that has helped save me. A few months ago I found a new doctor who finally thought to check my progesterone level (no one did this back then). He truly believed that it was going to come back low. Low progesterone levels can cause depression, anxiety, lack of sex drive, etc. Well, my tests came back and I was severely below the normal zone - almost a 0!! He said that he'd heard of Yasmin causing anxiety in a lot of his patients, and ESPECIALLY ones with imbalanced hormone levels. I've been taking natural progestone (not the bad synthetic stuff) and have been doing a lot better, feel calmer, etc.

I just felt that I had to share this info with all of you, as this website is what saved me also. I never would have guessed that it was not all just "in my head" as I was told by everyone.

Good luck to all of you! God bless.

hi abs528.
sorry to hear things are still bad for you,i'm glad that you have got some help though with your OCD. i never thought of it before but i always used to have to check to make sure i had locked doors and turned of gas/electrical appliances.sometimes i would go out then have to come back to make sure i had locked up or turned everything off then go back to make sure i hadn't switched it on when i checked it by mistake! although i haven't done it for years (since i had kids as had other things to worry about!) i wonder if anyone who has an underlying ocd/depression/anxiety issue is made worse by yasmin..there seems to be a link there. it's strange the things we become obsessed about,over the last year i have had a range of obsessions. ie.. my husband was going to die,i was going to be raped,someone was going to break into my house,someone was going to hurt or steal my children. but what i realise now is that because of my constant state of anxiety my mind was always looking for the danger that made my anxiety levels so high but of course there was no real danger,once i realised that and just accepted that bad things can happen but i couldn't waste my life waiting for them to...i started to relax and my thoughts have relaxed too. having not had your particular fear i cannot tell you how to deal with it but i would suggest telling yourself each time that you have a disturbing thought that it is not real,just realise it is a thought nothing else,you do not have to act on your thoughts or even react to them..just observe them and let them go and try to relax....life is too short ..enjoy every minute of every day! best wishes to you abs 528 and all the other ladies out there that are suffering from this devil pill!

Hi Guest 26582,

i know exactly how you feel, i feel the same.. well the depression/anxiety part. My poor boyfriend.. i told him that ive been having these horrible thoughts that i have lost my feelings for him.. and i told him that thats NOT what i want.. hes trying his hardest to understand, but i guess its hard for him.. i feel so horrible at what im doing. The last thing i need is to lose him now.

i went and saw my doctor today, 2nd day off yasmin... He told me its very likely my body just got overwhelmed, what with the pill and stress at work and then this cold that i just ran out of endorphins.. hence the lack of feelings for my boyfriend. friends and family.

im trying to be as patient as possible, i want this nightmare to end... im finding it so hard to stay positive, but im not doing too bad at the moment. I have moments where i feel like me again, but they are rare... i hope they just become more and more often until they are finally back for good.

Well good luck to you ladies in all your battles, i know we can make it through this together.

Kathy

I have been on Yasmin for 6 years and just stopped taking it two weeks ago. When on yasmin I experienced horrible headaches, depression, anxiety, tight throat, and fatigue. My PMS symptoms were better during menstration, however I had 7-8 day periods. I am 32 yrs old now and want to rid my body of these fake hormones so I can have kids in a year or so. My first symptom while off yasmin has been water retention/weight gain. I actually gained 6 pounds in a matter of 1 day. I couldn't fit into my pants. These pills are horrible. Hopefully, this water retention will subside.
Good luck to all!

I recently stoped taking yasmin because it was causing me physical and emotional problems. I had constant back pain, stomach cramps, dizziness, weakness,mood swings,anger,depression,anxiety,and lost of apetite.
I had my period for a month!
it messed up my hormones real bad.
please don't take this pill it would cause you pain.

hi there bitter rn and all

it is now my seventh day of this horrid pill, i took the last one out the packet last sunday and hoped it would be the end but i guess i was wrong.
i started my bleedin on thursday and have stopped today, it only lasted 4 days. i am due to take the pill again on tuesday but obviously i wont, so i guess my real test being off the pill will start then cause my body is used to having the 7 day break, i wonder how my body will react to not having it on tuesday?!
ANY IDEAS ANYBODY PLEAZ HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also this period has been the worst, i have been very anxious, light headed and stressed, althogh today has been better than the past couple of days.

i have been on this pill exactly 1 year and 1 month and the symptoms of depression, anxiety, panick attacks and headaches only started on the last 2-3 months of taking this awfull pill

although i am happy to find out what caused me all these problems i am horrified of what people are saying they experience once they come of this pill.
I AM A VERY SENSITIVE PERSON ANYWAY AND AM SO FRIGHTENED OF WHAT HAS YET TO COME PRE-YASMIN
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

ALSO MY DR HAS PRESCRIBED ME ANTI-DEPRESSANTS CALLED CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE 20MG DAILY. IVE TOLD HIM THAT I WILL NOT TRY THESE UNTILL 2 MONTHS PRE-YASMIN, TO SEE IF I CAN HANDLE THE EFFECTS OF COMING OFF THE PILL WITHOUT MEDICATION.

HAS ANYBODY OUT THEREEVER HEARD OR TRIED THIS MEDICATION???????
MY DR SAYS THEY ARE NOT ADDICTIVE BUT IM TO SCARED TO TAKE ANYTHING AFTER THE HORRIBLE HELL ON YASMIN

ALSO IS THER ANYTHING I CAN TAKE FOR THE SEVER MIGRAINES BITTER RN?????????

PEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

THANKYOU EVERYBODY IF IT WASNT FOR YOUR COMMENTS I WOUD STILL BE ON THIS EVIL PILL
THANKS AGAIN

SOPHIExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Depression/anxiety

This was my secound attempy on Yasmin - I tried it in 2004 for about 6 month - I was experience a lot of sadness when I was on it but I had lost both of my grandparents during that period so I assumed it must have been their deaths. This year when I met with my new doctor I told her about my attempt with Yasmin two years ago - she encouraged me to try it again. This year... same thing - I get so blue. I am not a depressed person - I have never have been! The days I am taking the reminder pill are my happiest - 2 weeks into my next packet are the worst!!
My doctor has put me on Microgestine 1/20 starting my next cycle - Please let me know if you have any knowledge of this. I am seriously to the point of going off all pills - and using condoms with my husband.

Dear Time 2 chng,and of course everybody!!!

The IBS you are having ,it coused by serotonin problems...
Depression,anxiety,panic,is a serotonin problem...Yasmin couses depression,anxiety,and panic,disorders...So you have to understand ,it is from Yasmin...I'm off know 2 mounth,clear skin,less anxiety (i can go out!!!!),depression OK. Yesterday i was cleaning ,and i found a box of YASMIN...Now it is in the trash...

Good luck!

Hi everyone -

I'm brand new to this site and I can't tell you how glad I am to have found it!

I'm 41 years old with no history of any serious health problems. In February of last year, I started feeling run-down, depressed, etc. (first time ever). By April, I went to my gynecologist and was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and put on Yasmin to help it resolve. After the cyst cleared up, I stayed on the Yasmin because I liked how it worked for birth control (never used BCP's before this). At the same time, I was diagnosed hypothyroid. A few months into treatment for both, I started having tachycardia/palpitations/pounding heart, severe depression, anxiety attacks. These were all written off by my docs as related to the hypothyroidism. My doctors and I kept thinking once we had that under control, the symptoms would resolve.

Well, the hypo has been under control for about three months, but the heart and anxiety symptoms continued to get worse.

I decided to dump the Yasmin about 7 weeks ago, because I couldn't figure out what else could be causing all the symptoms. My heart started feeling better in about 3-4 weeks, although the depression and anxiety lingers on (but are both improved).

I am not a very patient person and the idea of "waiting this out" is awful - but your postings have given me a lot of hope that all of this will eventually go away.

I would like to suggest that everyone spend a few minutes reporting their side effects to the FDA. If you go to www.FDA.GOV, there is a section where you can report adverse reactions yourself - without having to convince your doctor to do it for you. Under the section "Let Us Hear From You", there's an option to "Report a Problem with a Product". It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. If enough people file complaints, they'll have to do SOMETHING, won't they? ;-) And just the act of "ratting out the makers of Yasmin" is very satisfying....

Good luck to everyone!

Julie

I have been on yasmin for about 8 months. I have had a hard year and I associated my depression, anxiety, IBS, and insomnia to that. When I first went on yasmin my mom who is an RN advised me there were no serious long term side effects related to yasmin. When I had my first anxiety attach it was after being on Yasmin for 1 month. I never though it could be related to my B/C. I have developed IBS, which causes horrible cramping, gas, diarrhea, and anxiety over "where the next bathroom is." This has really ruinned my life and has cause me to give up everything I enjoy. Please if anyone else has had stomach trouble please let me know, I will go off asap!!!

DEPRESSION & ANXIETY
Can anyone comment on this? Has anyone gone through this while on Yasime? How long afterward did it linger? What helped you get through it?
That is the main side effect I am going through and I NEED help from someone. I feel like I can't function normally and I have nothing to be depressed about.

I discovered this site on Monday and stopped taking Yasmin on Tuesday. I've been on the pill for four years and had asked my doctor multiple times if my depression, anxiety and moodiness could be related to the pill. You know the answer. I felt such a sense of relief after reading everyone's experiences. I too am an upbeat person although I have a strong tendency to worry but it was never to the point of not getting out of bed, crying over very silly things and just know excitement about living life. With a new boyfriend and a new job, I thought I was just going through some MAJOR adjustments although in hindsight it's ridiculous to have lived feeling that crappy for so long. The side effects definitely got worse after the first year and that's when my libido started to tank as well.

It's only been a few days and I'm so elated to think that I'm going to get MY LIFE BACK that I'm optimistic the side effects many have mentioned in trying to get off Yasmin will not effect me. I will endure because anything's got to be better than how it's been. Thank you all very much!!!

Well this site helped me make my decision. Today is my first day off Yasmin. And now I can look forward to all the post-Yasmin symptoms.
In the 4 months I have taken Yasmin, I have suffered from many side effects, including: depression, anxiety, mood swings, very low sex-drive. headaches, lethargy, frequent yeast infections, nausia, among others.
I don't know why it took me so long to connect it. I recognized the severe mood swings right off during the first week when I had severe mood swings and crying fits for no logical reason. I also experienced intense feelings of anger and irritability that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. However, i know my body was adjusting and decided to hold out for at least a month to give my body time to adjust.
After a few weeks the intense feelings subsided but I continued to experience reclusiveness, inability to cope with stress, depression, headaches, and low sex drive. The only time I felt slightly sexy was during my period.
I feel very jaded by the oral contraceptive industry and have developed a bad attitude towards birth control in general.
Now I only hope the post-Yasmin side-effects aren't as bad for me as for others who have posted here. And I hope for all of us that these symptoms are temporary and we will all return to our normal states.
Women should be informed about these things. This drug has caused me alot of emotional and physical trauma.
S

Hi everyone,
I posted on August 14th in a desperate emotional state after being on yasmin for just 2 weeks. I had lost alot of weight ( well, water weight ) , had awful IBS, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and constant painful bleeding that required painkillers so I could function.
Anyway, I took my last pill the day after that and I am pleased to say that I am almost back to normal! It took about 3 days for the symptoms to subside and now a week later I am feeling much better. Still feel a bit off my food but sex drive is back up , phew!
I started this pill to sort out the PMS blues but one thing I have learned is that I was actually not as bad as I thought. After feeling the lowest in the world I now appreciate how lucky I am to be healthy and not have anxiety problems and illness all the time. Why should I make myself ill just too avoid PMS? Crazy!
So the bleeding has stopped, I am taking iron, agnus cactus and a herbal water pill and I am hoping my cycle will be normal and regular like it was before.
So my advice to you all, just stop taking it now, its not too late, we can detox from this, you are not going mad! Maybe we should just learn to live with PMS, I find keeping a diary of my feelings and giving out a PMS warning to my boyfriend helps!
I have had a IUD (no hormone) for 2 1/2 years now, no unwanted pregnancies ,no bother, I highly recommend it!
Good Luck Girls x

Hi Lou!

Well, not easy to give you some advice in stopping Yasmin or not. In my case this pill worked fine for about 2 years, I thought this was my wonder pill and then every horrible symptom hit me nearly at once!!

But just one thing: It seems to be (after reading many many posts and mails of women who nearly were ruined by Yasmin!!), that Yasmin especially in women who were already a little bit clinical to depression or anxiety prior to taking Yasmin (like PMS), is having these heavy side effects mentioned by some women here (especially depression, anxiety, dizziness, etc.). So I'd really be careful with this medicine!!

I posted several times in this forum about my 8 months long horrible hell (and prior to these months about 3 years being "not really fit and healthy") with this pill and I don't want to tell everyting again, but please please be very careful with that sh...!!! You really should hear what your body tries to tell you!! There are so many other bcp on the market, that there should any other for you, that works better and with less heavy symptoms than this hellsent drug!!

I'm taking Agnus Castus, too (for about 6 weeks now), because I did just get one regular period after getting off Yasmin in February to help my hormones getting back in balance and help to get off all the water my body had retained after getting off Yasmin. I just know, that it takes about 3 months until you feel some effects of this medicine. So I think you should just try and see!! It absolutely can't be that bad as Yasmin, you can be sure about!!

All the best to you and please think twice before taking this pill on an ond, just somehow "dealing" with the problems brought on by it! There are many better ways for your life than this!!!

Greetings from Germany and sorry, if my English isn't that good as I would wish it was! :)

Hello All,

Just an update....I have now been off Yasmin for 5 months (as I suffered terribly whilst on it from Depression, anxiety/panic attacks and elevated heart rate with no history of these symptoms prior to taking it). It has been one very long and hard road...I continue to take one day at a time as I am STILL suffering from anxiety. It has definately gotten better (i have been keeping a diary of my anxiety levels to correlate them to my cycle...there is always a link) but let me tell you, it has been exhausting. Thanks to this poison I have spent hundreds of dollars on seeing a psychologist (although he was worth every cent!) for the first ever time in my life. I also have benefitted from cutting out all white bread, white sugar and caffeine from my diet.

I urge all those women going through withdrawals after getting off Yasmin to post their experiences on this site. There have been days when this site has kept me going.

Yasmin has taken a year from my life. It is pure poison. Prior to this pill, I have NEVER suffered from any form of emotional/mental health issues. I am now about 95% better. I eagerly await the day I am 100% the old me.

Take care all of those out there getting off Yasmin and those going through the 'aftermath'.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH and TELL YOUR STORIES...we all need to hear them. After all, it is easy to beleive you are going crazy when something continues to affect you 5 MONTHS after stopping it.

Pharmaceutical companies are going to have a law suit on their hands when the truth of the destruction of Yasmin is made known to the wider community.
:)

Let me just begin by thanking all of the women who took the time to make these effects known. I am 31 years old and have been taking Yasmin for two years since the birth of my son. I have been suffering with horrible side effects such as neck and shoulder pain, heart palpitations, chest pains,(and I have a heart murmur) dehydration, dizziness, nauseau, dark spots on my skin, intense depression, anxiety,and mood swings, and disabling headaches a week before and the week of my period. I reported these to my doctor and he perscribed migraine medication (which did not work) and Xanax which I cannot take if I want to be able chase my son around. I tried to tell my doctor that it was the pill, but he disagreed and told me to just skip the inactive pills and try to see if that helpped the headaches, which he called "menstrual migraines." It only made everything worse. Why are doctors pushing this pill????Why do they refuse to connect these effects with it? Now that I have found this site, I know I'm not crazy, but poisoned. I am now divorced b/c I did not have a very understanding husband. I am stopping today, with the hopes of regaining some of my life back.

Hey ladies... I'm 24 years old and I've been on Yasmin for the past two or so years. The first year or so, I was side effect free and I thought that the pill was the greatest thing invented by science. I used to run around promoting it to every female on knew because I thought that this was the end-all-be-all of oral contraception. But then things changed, gradually over time... and now that I'm reading all of these complaints of negative side effects that I too experience- and now I'm freaking out.

Here is the rundown of side effects that I have:
-Fatigue
-Weight Gain (happened about 6 months ago, all of a sudden gained 10-12 lbs despite diet and exercise)
-Violent Mood Swings
-Psychosis
-Depression
-Anxiety
-Paranoia
-Constant Hungryness
-SEVERE Acid Reflux
-Major Digestive Problems
-Panic Attacks
-Achey Joints
-Muscle Fatigue
-Migraine Headaches
-Lump in Left Breast
-Racing Heart
-Heart Palpitations (left-center of chest, almost daily)
-Night Sweats
-Nightmares (nightly... and really terrible ones)
-Insomnia
-Monthly Spotting
-Multiple Periods Per Month
-Mysterious Abdominal Pains (like... lower abdomen)
-Thinned Hair
-Generally, a Complete Bitch
-Weird Discharge
-Acne like the dickens (and in places like... my eye area?)
-Cloudy Thinking/Zero Concentration

I could write more... but you get the point.

Right now, I'm feeling really guilty for ruining the wonderful relationship that I had with my boyfriend. Because of my general psychosis, he has begun to second guess our relationship- I mean, who wouldn't second guess things when your girlfriend is a complete mess. I just hope that I can return to my old self after coming off of these pills- because right now. I also feel sorry for my family for having to deal with me being unstable for the past few months. It's been a terrible strain on all of my personal relationships.

I feel like a really sad psycho-bitch with a lump in her left breast that can't even sleep through the night at age 24.

My Ob/Gyn has always encouraged me to be on some form of birth control (for obvious reasons), but I have to say that I'm going to have to go against medical advice on this one. When I get my period on this pill, it is also the (excuse me for saying this) the smelliest, most clot-ridden, painful, heaviest and most disgusting mess ever.

My previous experience with BCP's was Ortho Tri-Cyclen and I originally came off that pill because it gave me no sex drive, huge boobies that I didn't want, and extreme mood swings. Now that I've also had this terrible experience with Yasmin, I'm calling it quits in the artificial hormone adventures. It's strictly condoms and diaphragms for this girl. Risking my health and causing permanent damage was NEVER what I intended for... I just intended on not getting pregnant and having a regular cycle.

Ladies... I'm throwing the pills in the trash TODAY. If you are smart, you will do the same. These artificial hormones have ruined my life... and all I can hope for is that I can repair the damage that they have done. If you're thinking "gee, I've been on these for like 9 months and I'm fine!"- think again. It will happen to you. It happens to everyone. Save your body and your soul from complete hell by throwing the pills away TODAY.

In response to 'voicesi', please hang in there! The time it takes for this horrible pill to get out of your body seems to vary for everyone. I have heard that a doctor said that it can be up to three months for the hormones to be completely out of your body, but that it will get progressively better as time goes on.

I was on Yasmin for nearly a year until I was 'hit' with waves of depression, anxiety/panic attacks, having horrible thoughts, rapid heart rate, dizziness/vertigo, loss of apetite. I became a completely different person and was scaring myself and my family. I stopped taking Yasmin 3 weeks ago and although I still have some anxiety (moreso constant worrying?) I am generally feeling alot better and feel like 'the old me' is coming back!

I know alot of people have encouraged others to call the pharmaceutical companies to lodge the effects of Yasmin (and I'm not discouraging that), but I feel in order for the 'word to get out' it needs to be made known to the media??? Pharmaceutical companies have their own agenda with this information. Also, I worry about women who don't have links to the internet. I am just so thankful I found this website and to read others stories, like they were telling mine!

Bring on the happy times!

I have been taking yasmin for one month and already I can notice a difference in my skin. It was clearing up, but ever since I've been on this pill, it seems to be breaking out a lot more than usual. I have also been experiencing bad headaches. I had to quit taking birth control before for this and I guess I will stop this one too. I am currently being treated for depression/anxiety and after reading these side effects I don't want it to get any worse. Thanks, for helping me make the decision to go off of them. Good luck to anyone who is taking them or thinking about it.

M.G.

Depression, anxiety!!!!!!