Yasmin and exhaustion

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

Oh! And Furthermore, Lest I forget to register MY formal COMPLAINTS about Yasmin...
i was a healthy 160 pounds when i started taking Yasmin 6 years ago (about) I now weigh about 218. 60 pounds in 6 years for me =( I attribute some of that to Yasmin...
also~ signature heart palpitations, depression, moodiness. exhaustion crept up on me over time, worrying about everything, being tired but not being able to sleep, (these all contributed to my lask of ability to exercise overly much....palpitations during exertion are very scary....
horrible overall experience. Just got off, going back to condoms as a 31
year old woman! (tells you how bad the pills are) Will never take ANY pills ever again in my life and really think these pills should be taken off the market. in this site alone you will find over 4000 threads on the topic of bad Yasmin side effects....google it and Im sure you will find tons more, Get off this pill if you value your heart and your hair! and spread the word.... I wish you all the best and pray this isn't something even worse than we realize, or that the damage is not irreparable. =(

Yasmin is a steroid so when coming off it you can suffer all the same symptoms as someone stopping a steroid drug... and by the way, when people are taken off steroids it's done in a controlled way - they cut down on them very slowly by reducing the dosage. It's a real shock to the body to just stop a steroid. This could explain why a lot of us feel so terrible when we stop taking it. I know I had a real increase in severity of symptoms followed by months and months of exhaustion and fatigue.

Hello-

I took Yasmin for a 1.5 years. I am now 2 years post Yasmin. In hind-sight, had I known what I would live through both while taking Yasmin as well as the 2 years following, I would never have taken it in the first place.

I am going to summarize some of those side effects below:

For the first 1.25 years, it seemed like I was living in an dream. I was that spaced out all the time. No affect, if you will. I felt like a zombie.

Exhaustion/Fatigue:
I became lethargic all the time. Previously, being very athletic, I had no energy at all. A walk made me yearn for a nap. 2 years post Yasmin, I am still trying to recover and bring back all the muscle tone I lost. Reading through alot of possible side effects, ataxia (muscle atrophy/loss) was one of them I suspect could be linked to becoming dehydrated.

Painful plugged eardrums:
Every morning after i would take Yasmin, my ears would have this "popping sensation" much like what it feels like when you are on an airplane and the pressure changes. Over time, my ears became quite painful like I had alot of pressure built up in them. I later learned from a Hearing Doctor that it could well have been the potassium sparing diuretic as the inner ears are composed of potassium/sodium and the diuretic could offset its balance. This doctor also told me that in their field they have known forever that artificial/synthetic hormones are toxic to the inner ears. No other doctor I saw coming off of Yasmin knew this...

Melasma:
I developed brown spots on my forehead, beneath my eyebrows and on both cheeks within starting Yasmin in the first month.

Constant Urination:
I urinated every 15 minutes for 1.5 years straight that I was on Yasmin. Learned later about the potassium sparing diuretic in it a little too late. My blood tests showed I was dehydrated and was deficient in Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. Both 2 common deficiencies seen with artificial/synthetic hormone use.

Chest Pain:
1.25 years into taking Yasmin, at the onset of menses, I developed this pressure in my chest and sharp stabbing pains. The next month, again at the onset of menses, the pressure occurred again, this time spreading across my chest. I went to see a Doctor at that point who discounted that Yasmin could be involved at all. (Not sure why a member of the medical community would say that given I have since read a number of articles that suggest that Yasmin and Yaz both run a higher risk for clots/pulmonary embolisms then other birth control pills). Regardless, I had a chest x-ray to ensure my heart was not enlarged and had an EKG which just showed an abnormally slow heartbeat-Sinus Bradycardia. It was recommended at that time that I have a ECG (echo-cardiogram). Tests start at $5000 each and I did not have coverage for this kind of test.

I went off of Yasmin now, almost 2 years ago. Going off I spent the last 2 years getting sick every month at the onset of menses with severe bronchitis, chest pain that still occurs at menses (I have since learned can also be brought on by low levels of oestrogen and progersterone at menses) and gained 30 lbs.

Blood tests showed I was depleted of Vitamin D, B and Folic Acid, dehydrated and also had elevated potassium (a possible risk with Yasmin's potassium sparing diuretic.

I would encourage everyone to google anti-mineralocortoid (diasperonone) and anti-androgenic effects (Spironolactone)

These are both acting ingredients in Yasmin.

This has been the toughest couple of years in my lifetime. Initially it seemed like a great pill. My skin cleared up, I lost weight and my periods were only 3 days long. On that note, it took a whole year and half for my periods to go back to 5 days from 3 days long so again, doctors telling me that Yasmin would not and could not be affecting my body after stopping, just went to show it took that long for my own body to start re-producing its own natural hormones.

Through all of this, I have met amazing women and other survivors who have offered enormous support. I would suggest to any of you that find your way here to trust yourself and your body first and foremost to what anyone else may discount or try and remedy with anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. There are a host of amazing authors out there as well who enlightened me enormously on the role of hormones in our bodies, and ultimately, their balance to our overall health and immune function:

Dr. Lee and Dr. Hotze. They both have websites and books which are wonderful. I would also suggest googling Yasmin Survivors online, which will take you to another resource/forum of women who are sharing side effects and healing and survival techniques coming off of Yasmin. The site is: ******

Hello all. I was wondering if any of you who have been on Yasmin for a few years experienced any joint pain or swelling in your hands/feet because of this. I notice that it is a side effect, but was wondering when it developed for people who have been on it a while. I have swollen, painful joints in my hands, but the blood tests turn up negative for arthritis and my docs (primary and neuro) have quizzed me about Yasmin - the only prescription med I take.
Also, I had terrible migraines upon starting Yasmin but those subsided. I also experience the sex drive/dryness/increased UTI frequency issues others of you describe.
I am 32 and have not been pregnant before. Have been on Yasmin for three years.

I took the Yasmin for 1 month and toward the end of the month (near my period) i had extreme premenstrual moodiness and depression. This was followed by a week of nausea, inability to eat, IBS, vomiting a few times and extreme tiredness and exhaustion.
I have stopped it for 3 days now and feel a little better already.
Cant wait to have this horrible pill out of my system.
Please pass this onto as many woman as you know. I was in the process of going to do anti depressants, as i know others have treated the symptoms too, even assuming pregnancy, hepatitis C or thyroid related illnesses.

Get of Yasmin, and see the benefits!

i have endometriosis, as well. i tried doing the vitamin thing for a couple of months but my peroids didn't get any easier, so i gave-in and went on BCPills. i was on loestrin which worked great for the 1st 3 months but then stopped working and i gained 8-10 pounds of water weight. i took a month off and went on yasmin and LOVED it! for the 1st 4 months, it was a dream come true - i lost the water weight, had TONS of energy. well, when i started working out again, around month 4 - i was fine doing cardio but as soon as i'd add weights to the routine, i would be hit with TOTAL exhaustion, muscle fatigue, etc.. i thought i was coming down w/ the flu or a cold and would take some time off...only to try again and have the same effect. this went on ALL summer - then i found out it might be YASMIN!!! apparently the increased levels of potassium in the blood can mess w/ the acidity in the blood and make the muscles hurt. my OBGYN refuses to accept it could be the pill (suggested i get tested for fibromyalgia, depression, etc.). i'm off of the pill now for a week and am still REALLY muscle-achey (sorta feels like the flu). does anyone else have this? does anyone have experience w/ how long it takes this crap to get out of the body? i just started at the gym this morning, only adding cardio for awhile... i am so frustrated!! i'm getting married in 8 months and want to be buff for the wedding but keep getting sidetracked w/ exhaustion. *UGH* can't wait to get yasmin behind me.

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

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

If anybody KNEW how relieved I am to read these messages.... you guys just don't know! I stopped taking yasmin 2 weeks ago because I gained 30 pounds on it in one year. I have stretch marks, total loss of confidence, everything. THEN, when I read your messages I was so relieved to find out that a lot of women got anxiety from them too. For the past year I have been nothing but anxiety. My heart beats fast, I felt short of breath almost everyday, I couldn't drink a cup of coffee without getting palpitations and jitters for an hour, I felt fatigue everyday, I couldn't even have a normal workout routine because I would get tired after 10 minutes. And the WHOLE time I thought it was something else. I had no idea that it could have possible been yasmin because everybody told me it was too low of a dose to do anything. I'm so glad I'm off of it but I'm getting hotflashes and I'm only 19. I hopoe it will be over in a few weeks so I can be normal again. By the way, did anybody else get hotflashes while getting off of Yasmin??

Guest, #36427-

Based on all the troubles you are experiencing, I would strongly urge you to read through as much of this website as you can as well as the site Flowerbabies set up. Her link is below. There isn't one woman who has taken this pill who hasn't experienced very serious debiliating side effects.

Long short of it, many of us are struggling to heal multiple symptoms that have occurred while being on it to include extreme fatigue, exhaustion, low levels of magnesium and inabalances of electrolytes and potassium due to the diuretic in this pill.

More and more women are being pushed this pill. Doctors make money off it prescribing it.

You sound like you are already going through so much. I can tell you, after two and half years of being on it, it completely messed up my body and I have heart palpitations and pain I never had.

I took Yasmin for the last 2.5 years. Over time, I came to recognize major side effects that I am still very concerned about to include: Popping of eardrums. Exhaustion. Sensation of paralysis following taking it and lying down. Constant running to the bathroom to urinate (due to droperinone which acts as a diuretic), developed heart murmur and pain across my chest (squeezing sensations). Major change in vision in the right eye within 6 months. Painful pressure in both ears due to this pills increase of potassium in your body. Ears would pop for two hours after I took the pill.

I have been off of Yasmin for 2 months, initially went onto its sister/cousin Yaz and felt just as terrible so I went off of that as well.

A Hearing Aide doctor actually told me that oral contraceptives have been known for a long time to be "odo-toxic". Which means-toxic to the inner ear. How come prescribing Gynecologists, Doctors and pharmacists don't know this?

The synthethic hormone in YASMIN AND YAZ -dirosperone increases potassium levels in the body. Inner ear is composed of a potassium and sodium fluid. An inbalance in this fluid would likely cause pressure in the ear. I had to learn the majority of this information from people other than the prescribing doctor, an RN or the pharmacist.

I took Yasmin for a number of years with no side effects, actually with beneficial side effects, of making my periods more manageable (the pills helped reduce hot flashes, nausea and cramps). Then I tried to go off by transitioning onto a lower dose pill, but had some side effects, and went back on the Yasmin after 2 months. Now, it's been AWFUL. I figured I'd give it a month for my body to readjust, but I don't think that's going to happen. I have suffered from: morning-sickness type nausea every day (for 5 weeks) except during the last week of my last cycle, when I wasn't on the pills, diahrrhea, which only probiotics reduced (still a problem, but not as bad), exhaustion, achy legs and back, and shooting pains in my abdomen. Also the dry mouth that others have mentioned has been bad.
I don't know why it would work so well for so long and not work now! Has anyone else had this happen to them while switching back and forth? I also have a high breast cancer risk, and even though all the studies say there's no link between oral contraceptives and breast cancer, I have wondered - how can I take estrogen, which feeds breast cancer, without it increasing my risk?
Heidi

Kay, I completely understand your exhaustion over the time it takes to feel better after getting off Yasmin, but you need to TRUST that although you dont feel it, everyday is a day closer to being the 'old Kay'. It has now been 4 months for me and I am only really feeling like my old self now, you need to take one day at a time. By the sounds of it, you are currently either ovulating or pre-menstrual...you always feel worse around these times. I understand that knowing you will get better soon isnt always enough to make you feel better right now. The biggest thing is to TALK to your friends and family. They need to know exactly how you're feeling. Get them to read posts on this website. I'd also recommend you make an appointment to see a psychologist. This is not because anything is wrong with you, but as a result of taking Yasmin you are suffering side effects that you currently have no control over. I have been seeing a psychologist for the first time in my life over this whole experience and it has helped enormously. He reminded me that I need to stop being so hard on myself and that I am making gains....its' always good to have other people's views on our progress as it's often difficult for us to see.

I'd also recommend you cut out any caffiene, white sugar, white flour etc as it only makes you feel more on edge.

I found meditation helpful as it helped calm me down.

You need to know that you're not alone. All Yasmin Survivors out there are sharing your pain, and we all have brighter times ahead!!!

I must post this comment! My daughter started taking Yasmin in mid August - the same day she went far away to college. She had always experienced severe back pain around her periods and her periods were very irregular. So her doctor suggested Yasmin and she decided to give it a try. The back pain did not improve and she bled heavier but my WARNING here is that she became severely depressed and extremely exhausted. She did not want to do anything but sleep and would cry all the time. At first I thought she was home sick being so far away at college and I felt completely helpless. When I talked to her on the phone she sounded like a little girl curled up in the corner in a dark room. I prayed and prayed and feel like my prayers were answered by being directed to this web site. I was appalled when I read what all these women are experiencing when they are on Yasmin. I immediately called my daughter and told her to read this web site. She called me back sobbing and said she was stopping the pill that day. That has been 2 weeks now and I am telling you all that she is now back to her old self - very perky, wanting some adventure, hanging out with friends and meeting new ones. She still gets a little tired (now THAT could be college life) but she is no longer experiencing the depression and severe exhaustion. Her other side effects were a breakout in her complexion and some bloating.

If you are experiencing severe sadness, exhaustion and irritablility and don't know why since taking Yasmin GET OFF IT NOW. I think every person who has made a posting on this web site should send a similar letter to the FDA. It's the only way they will know this "miracle" pill is far from a miracle.

I had taken Yasmin for almost two years, and stopped about 6 weeks ago. Reading the postings on this site really opened my eyes. When you ask your doctor if these odd side effects could be from Yasmin, they act stunned that you could even think such a thing...it's supposed to be the new "miracle drug" they say.

Looking back, I can now accurately target just what Yasmin brought to my life since these side effects have disappeared ever since I stopped this awful pill. After about 6 months on Yasmin I began having SEVERE anxiety attacks -- so bad that I was put on medication and wondered what was wrong with me. I was depressed...a level of depression that can almost not be put into words...along with mood swings that made my friends think that I was defiitely losing it. I had foot cramps regularly, acne, shortness of breath and utter exhaustion 24/7. These are the bad things.

On the only good note, my periods were light, pain-free and wonderful. That was why I stayed on for as long as I did.

I was switched to Mircette 6 weeks ago and all of the Yasmin side effects are now gone. Unfortunately with Mircette, I began hemmoraging a week ago (2 weeks before my period was due) and am still bleeding. I now do not know what to take, or if I should go without. If anyone has advice, I would much appreciate it.

I hope that reading about my Yasmin experiences has helped you, please don't think that any of these side effects are just you...no matter what the doctor says.