| Key to ratings for yasmin: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken and Dosage | Date Added | |
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| 5 | birth control | Great for my skin- no acne whatsoever. It also reduced the size of cysts on my ovaries. | This pill was phenomenal. I experienced no weight gain and my skin was flawless. There were no negative side effects. I recommended this pill to many friends who have mixed reviews about it. | F | 33 | 4 years 1X D | 7/27/2010 | 1 | prevent pregnancy, regulate cycle | until i stopped taking them, i thought i was just a moody b*tch to my boyfriend for no reason, and that my nausea was because of dehydration, but recently i started forgetting to take it, stopping altogether. I tried to start again about a week ago and lost a bunch of friends because of its nauseating effects and its ill effect on my attitude and actions. i'v stopped now and i am feeling completely wonderful! | Don't take it! I've lost suicidal thoughts (though that could be attributed to a more faithful boyfriend than mentioned in the side effect box :P) and i've lost around 20 lbs. I'm no longer constantly nauseous and EVIL, though now i have to find another form of birth control...besides condoms i mean... | F | 17 | 3 years 1X D | 7/24/2010 | 4 | Yes | When I first started taking Yasmin my boobs got slightly bigger. Over the course of the 5 years my periods have been regular and for the most part light. I really enjoyed being on Yasmin. I never realized people had such problems on yasmin until I started reading about it on the internet because I am looking into going off of it. | I am planning on going off Yasmin at the end of this pill pack and I am so scared of all the side effects people have posted. Has anyone had a great experience with Yasmin and been okay when they got off it. I have to be honest... I never would have thought to post how I was perfectly fine taking the pills until I thought about going off. I think there are probably alot more good experiences with the pill that noone posts because they assume everyone is the same as them (like I had thought). Can anyone give me any advice about going off the pill? | F | 25 | 5 years 1X D | 7/19/2010 | 1 | anemia - lower period blood loss | anxiety, severe depression, suicide thoughts, panic attacks, irritability, extremely fatigued but unable to sleep, dizziness, feeling like i'm about to faint, blurred vision, gallbladder removal, alopecia (hair loss), shortness of breath, spotting, extreme gastro-intestinal pain, low energy/fatigue, extremely low white blood cells | I think this is a horrible pill that should never be prescribed. I've never used an oral contraceptive before this and never will again. It's been a downward spiral ever since I've been taking it and it took thoughts of suicide for me to realize that maybe my depression is due to this pill and then realized all my health issues for over the past year have been linked to this pill, my doctors never even put it together... The side effects are definitely not worth the benefits in my opinion... | F | 29 | 1.5 years 1X D | 7/18/2010 | 1 | Prevent Pregnancy | Severe depression that would lead to suicidal thoughts. Vaginal dryness and COMPLETE loss of sex drive. Of course it works to prevent pregnancy...can't get prego if you don't want sex. Constant breast tenderness (more like pain if anything even grazed me). Extreme moodiness...irrational anger, sudden bursts of crying. Increased appetite with unusual side effect of weight loss. Leg, neck and back muscle cramps. Numbness to arms. Night sweats and inability to sleep alongside fatigue. So to sum it up it has ruined my life and has been such a hurdle for me and my boyfriend. We made the decision to stop all hormonal methods. | DON'T TAKE IT | F | 29 | 4.5 years 1X D | 7/17/2010 | 2 | birth control | Hungry ALL the time, depression and severe moodiness to the point i had my boyfriend asking me if i was okay, (if you're wondering if i'd had previous problems with depression,the answer is no) | I've been doing my research today as I am PMSing and could cry at the drop of the hat... for no reason, and i figure i just linked it to this crap birth control. I was never like this before, i am at the point that i have random suicidal thoughts because i am just so tired of feeling blue. Yazmin works in the fact that i havent gotten preggo but thats about all its good for, i wouldnt recommend it, i am throwing out the rest of my pack. | F | 22 | 4 months 1X D | 7/1/2010 | 1 | Stabilize menstrual cycle | Multiple Pulmonary Embolisms (blood clots) in both lungs, gall bladder removed. 2.5 yrs later, still have chest pain, migraines, depressions, bruises easily, shortness of breath, tiredness with any physical activity. | If anyone has a similar story/long term symptoms PLEASE let me know. I was told I may now have Pulmonary Hypertension (directly from the blood clots), still undergoing testing. In the meantime I am trying to self diagnosis myself and my symptoms also point to Lupus symptoms, I will see how to get tested for that as well. | F | 23 | 3 months 30mg 1X D | 7/1/2010 | 1 | Regulate cycle | Had tons of side-effects, but spent years (and hundreds of dollars) with multiple doctors until one finally linked them all to Yasmin. These included severe headaches and migraines, anxiety and depression, no sex drive (which had a terrible effect on my marriage), gastrointestinal problems, panic attacks, dizziness, and nausea. | F | 31 | 7 years 1X D | 7/1/2010 | 1 | regulate cycle/prevent pregnancy | depression, lost of interest in everything, loss of libido, weight gain/increased appetite, bloating, lack of energy | F | 25 | 14 days 1X D | 6/20/2010 | 2 | Birth control | The first time I took this I was 25 & it made me lose weight almost instantly (all water, i'm sure), but it gave me HORRIBLE yeast infections & dried out my usually oily skin. I tried it again when I was 28 (2 years ago) & it instantly bloated me that time, while still drying out my skin and making me an EMOTIONAL WRECK. I was bloated, dry & emotional for 3 straight months trying to hang in there. When I got off of it, I dropped weight within 2 weeks and my mood balanced. Made my boobs huge, though! | F | 30 | 5 months 30 MG 1X D | 6/13/2010 | 5 | PCOS,Hairloss,oily skin,acne | Urinating in the middle of the night but it went away after 1 pack.Breakthrough bleeding for 3 packs-now none. | I LOVE this pill.Its stopped my hair shedding to the point where my hair grew back and my temples filled in.My skin is no longer oily and its clear.I stopped it once for 6 mo and the symptoms came back-restarted it and now they're gone again.I will never go off this pill again.I think it works best for people with PCOS and high androgens. | F | 38 | 3 years 1X D | 5/29/2010 | 3 | birth control/menstrual pain | extremely over-emotional, increased anxiety, yeast infections | i started this pill when i was 17 due to experiencing very painful cramps during my period. it did alleviate this problem and was effective as a contraceptive. after 3-4 years of taking it, i began having extreme emotional problems that recurred monthly around the time of my period. i also got 3-4 yeast infections throughout the course of taking this drug. | F | 26 | 8 years 1X D | 5/22/2010 | 3 | birth control, severe endometriosis | I had bad withdrawals coming off the pill after 7 years off and on- bad headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, breaking out, hair loss & itchy greasy hair. It's been 7 months and I still have hair loss, greasy itchy hair having to wash it twice a day with no relief and the worst breakouts of my life. I never had bad acne even as a teenager until I stopped this birth control. It worsens about a week before my period and I am at a loss trying to figure out what to do. I have tried every expensive shampoo and acne treatments out there (non-perscription) with no improvement. The breakouts get worse each time...as I write this I have the most acne I have ever had my face some painful and my head is so itchy I want to scream even though I just washed my hair about 5 hours ago. | Was switched to Yasmin at age 20 shortly before my first laparoscopy in September 2003 to control painful periods and clots associated with diagnosed severe endometriosis. I never thought I had a problem on it, my periods and clotting lessened over time though never helped with my pain the rest of the time and symptoms of my endometriosis would come and go. In Oct. 2009 I decided to stop taking it because my husband and I were wanting to start a family when he returns from deployment. I had some withdrawal symptoms that went away after a few weeks but am very discouraged with the ones that have not gone away. Was told my hormones could still be out of balance as it worsens about a week or so before my period. The worst acne I have ever had in my life and uncontrollable itchy greasy scalp and hair loss. If anyone can help me or offer suggestions they are greatly appreciated. On a side note my severe endometriosis is back in full swing with pain/clotting worse than before. I am about to have my third laparoscopy so they can rule things out and move on to another fix, but I refused birth control when the wanted me to get on it while my husband is away. I can't put my body through anymore with getting on a new pill than getting off it again when he returns and we want to have a baby while still suffering symptoms from getting off the Yasmin. | F | 27 | 7 years 1X D | 5/21/2010 | 1 | for birth control | chronic gas, fatigue, dizziness anxiety, shortness of breath the first 3 months. After, I began to suffer of...leegs cramping, painful mostly during the night...end to see bruises, swelling on my legs.... So I'm going to my doctor end he said I have to stop to take this pill immediatly And today I had to go to laboratory to make analysis.....for circulatory problems.. | Do not take this drug | F | 25 | 7 months 30mg 1X D | 5/20/2010 | 1 | birth control | calf cramps, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, no sex drive, eating all the time, UTI, dry skin | I had been taking Ortho Cyclen for 13 years, with time off for my two pregnancies. I went off that for two months and discovered that it was causing hormonal headaches before my period. I went back on Ortho Cyclen (husband had a fit that I went off) to finish up the three packs I had left then switched to Yasmin. Within a weak I could tell the difference. I have been extremely fatigued. I wake up feeling exhausted and just want to go back to sleep. I have zero sex drive, which I also experienced while on Ortho Cyclen, but this seems worse. I feel like I am in a haze. I am also experiencing calf cramps, and have noticed a huge drop in my endurance while running. I will be going back to the doctor and will be switching back to Ortho Cyclen until my husband goes in for a vasectomy. | F | 36 | 2 months 1X D | 5/18/2010 | 1 | Acne | headaches, moodiness, sadness and depression like states, a general feeling of not being right and no sex drive what so ever. All those started within the first couple of days of taking yasmin. Tender/enlarged breasts, period like cramping especially when I wake, bloating of the stomach and thrush have now just started in the last week. I have been on this 3 weeks now. | Will def be getting off this when i see my speecialist in three weeks. skin has cleared a bit already in 3 weeks but do not think feeling like this is worth it. Am going to ask to go on Roacotan (not sure of correct spelling) Vitamin A treatment especially for skin. Severe but permanent after allocated time of taking. (I have friends who swear by it. Also unlike pill acne does not come back once you finish the cycle prescribed to you. | F | 32 | 3 weeks 1X D | 5/9/2010 | 1 | Prevent Pregnancy / Control Period | Migraine headaches the entire week I am on the “inactive” pills, Severe cramps so bad they literally knock me to my knees - the cramps come with a sharp stabbing pain in my anus region making me unable to sit, Lower back pain that shoots up my spine and down my legs making me unable to sit, stand or lie down. Severe bloating, Fatigue to the point of passing out on my couch after work almost every day, Tender areas in my neck, spine and feet, Mood swings, Irrational anger, Panic attacks, Crying for no reason, Muscle cramps mostly in my calves and shoulders. | I never had PMS symptoms at all before I tried Yasmin. The side effects didn't surface immediately either, they took about 9 months to 1 year to surface and I didn't associate all of the symptoms with the birth control until I switched off of Yasmin and all of it went away immediately. I also tried the generic Yasmin (Ocella) since it was cheaper and the side effects were exactly the same - they didn't get any worse or any better. Yasmin/Ocella is by far the worst birth control I have tried. | F | 28 | 3 years 3 mg 1X D | 5/6/2010 | 3 | shorter periods, prevent pregnancy | Yasmin actually gave me some PMS and some cramps. I was on it for 3 years with not much complaint. It prevented pregnancy and shortened my periods. But I went off it for 2 months and tried to get back on it and holy cow I had depression and anger like no other. I'm trying Loestrin to see if I can handle that a little better because I don't enjoy feeling like a depressed, anxious, angry freak. | I'm kind of interested in getting off bc pills for good and seeing if my level of happiness gets even higher. But, for now, I'd prefer to stay not pregnant. | F | 23 | 3 years 1X D | 5/2/2010 | 1 | birth control | Numbness and tingling took almost two months to subside. It was caused by inflammation of the blood vessels, which also was causing the chest pain and a raised white blood cell count. Chest pains were gone after one month off Yazmin. | F | 32 | 1X D | 4/28/2010 History | 1 | hormone therapy(hot flashes) | Pulmonary Emboli and Pleural Effusion. | DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG. Go with a second generation birth control pill if you need it. It almost killed me. I was healthy, a non-smoker before taking this deadly drug. I actually took Ocella, the generic of Yasmin, but thought I should add a rating here also if it meant possibly saving another woman's life. I am thankful that the clots stopped at my lungs and did not completely stop me from breathing. Now I am disabled from this drug. | F | 44 | 2 weeks 3mg/0.03mg 1X D | 4/26/2010 | 2 | Acnes | Work while taking it, more serious breakout of acnes after I stopped | F | 30 | 7 months 1X D | 4/20/2010 | 2 | Extreme Mood Swings, Bad Menstrual Cramps, Water Retention, Lack of Drive to do anything (including occasionally sex), Anxiety | I was on Yasmin for about a year when I was 17. My doctor prescribed it to me because I had periods that lasted up to 3 weeks. After a month of Yasmin my period shortened to about 7 days. After my first month of taking it, I noticed extreme mood swings;I went from laughing to crying then screaming in extremely short periods of time. I noticed an increase in breast size from AA to A. That subsided after a few months. I saw all the negative press, and based on my family history of health conditions, I stopped taking Yasmin and switched to Lutera, a generic brand. Lutera was not able to stop my excessive bleeding like Yasmin was (but it did not have ANY side effects whatsoever), so I switched back to Yasmin after 3 months. I've been on Yasmin again now for 2 months now, and I have mood swings worse than ever. I also never had menstrual cramps despite my excessive periods and now I have extreme pain during my menstrual cycle. I do take Yasmin at the same exact time every day, as directed, and it has been effective in pregnancy prevention. In that short time, my breasts grew again from an A cup to a small B cup. I have noticed a slight decrease in sex drive. I definitely am scheduling a doctor appointment and switching off Yasmin once again... this time for good. | F | 18 | 1.5 years 1X D | 4/20/2010 | 3 | Peri-Menopause + Painful cycles | constantly thirsty, extreme irrational hunger, bloating/weight gain (duh, wonder why if every day for an hour(+/-) I'm so hungry I eat almost everything in sight without feeling full), tender breasts(?). | I put a ? with the tender breasts, because I was already experiencing that off & on before starting Yasmin. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to stay on this pill, the goal is to shut down my cycles because the pain from lower back cramping gets so bad I can't do anything, barely crawl let alone stand/walk kinda bad pain in my back. I gave it a 3 since I've only been taking it for 8 days so far, to soon to tell if it's going to accomplish the end goal. | F | 40 | 8 days 1X D | 4/19/2010 | 4 | Endometriosis | n/a | I've been on Yaz for treatment of endometriosis. I've read horrible blogs about all the side effects of Yaz which have scared me to death... but honestly, for me, any of the side effects that i've experienced are nothing compared to the endometriosis pain I used to have before going on Yaz. Before being on yaz, I was taking high doses (3-4 advil) of pain pills 2 weeks around my period, and even mid cycle for pain management. I couldn't lead a normal life. I also suffered from moderate acne. Since being on yaz, my periods are 1-2 days max, I haven't had to take an advil for menstrual pain in probably 10 months, my skin is incredibly clear, and most of all, I have my life back. I am a healthy, happy young woman. I hope to someday get off Yaz when the time is right for me to have children, but until then, I will stay on this pill. Just keep in mind that the pill works for some, but not all. | F | 27 | 3 years 30 1X D | 4/15/2010 | 1 | BC | This pill almost killed my 17 yr old niece. Do not take if you smoke. Period. She had such terrible blood clots in her legs they had to slice down both legs to release the pressure. She spent a month in the hospital and her legs will never be the same. They were terrified it would go to her lungs. Should not be on the market. | F | 51 | 5 months 30 mg 1X D | 4/14/2010 | 1 | Birth Control | when i firts started taking Yasmin the pill was great, but for the past few years my body has changed completely. No sex drive at all Am also a very active person i go to the gym 3 to 4 times a week run 4 to 5 miles and i eat very healthy and dispite of all of that i gained over 20 pounds. I have tinglin in my feet and now i have it all over my hands,I have night swets.I think Yasmin is very harmful to your body. | F | 33 | 6 years 1X D | 4/12/2010 | 1 | Birth Control & to help acne | Increased appetite even when full, weight gain, bloating, tiredness, moodiness, vaginal discharge, bad breakouts, nausea. | I haven't been taking this pill for long (the first birth control pill i've ever taken) but after just 8 days I can't bare it anymore. I feel so bloated and spotty and unattractive. I was going to keep going with it but the side effects are not worth it - i'd rather not have sex than have to take this pill forever. | F | 24 | 8 days 1X D | 4/12/2010 | 1 | Preganancy prevention | Extreme lethargy, depression, heartburn, decreased sex drive, chest discomfort, aches and pains. | I went on Ocella (YASMIN) in January of 2010, and have hated it! My sex drive went out the window, my energy is gone and I have turned into a couch potato! I am a very energetic person, and since taking this bcp, I have wanted to do nothing but lay on the couch or watch TV. I have also turned into a bit of a hermit, and not wanted to socialize or leave the house much. Very odd for me! I have also experienced frequent heartburn, and odd chest discomfort. After reading all of these other reviews, I am SO HAPPY to hear that I am not alone and I am not going crazy! It really is the Yasmin! | F | 29 | 3 months 1X D | 4/1/2010 | 1 | b.c. and help with hormonal acne | severe anxiety, panic attacks- feeling as if i am seriously ill or going to die of some sort of illness, terrified, confused, severe fatigue, constantly tired, "spacing out", frequent urination, hot flashes, dizziness, pain in arms legs and lower back, random attacks of crying and sadness, isolated | It was only 4 days of being on this pill and I felt absolutely terrible, one of the worst weeks of my entire life. I have been terrified that something is seriously wrong with me. Anxiety so intense I cant eat, sleep, think and have no desire to do anything. I have taken YAZ before, several years ago (6 or so) and now that I have tried it again I can think back and realize many of the emotional problems I had then were probably because of this medication. My older sister has also taken this medication and had symptoms very similar to mine. She begged me to stop taking it once she found out my doctor had given me the prescription, and so I have. I am very overwhelmed at this point and hope the symptoms subside quickly now that I have discontinued use. | F | 23 | 5 days 1X D | 3/21/2010 | 2 | BC, Bad Cramps, Heavy Period | Weight gain, decreased sex drive, tired, mood swings | No change in the length of my periods, still had very painful cramps, was advised by my doctor to stop taking it due to several of her other patients on Yasmin having blood clots/pulmonary embolisms. | F | 24 | 1 years 1X D | 3/13/2010 | 1 | birth control | Breaking out more than ever before, terrible cramps, mood swings, depression, 2 periods in a month 2nd one has lasted 18 days now, anemia, and backache | F | 19 | 3 months 3 1X D | 3/6/2010 | 1 | Birth Control | HIGH CHOLESTEROL | There are so many comments here, but just breezing through a few pages, I noticed that no one has mentioned high cholesterol. I understand that high cholesterol can be caused by many things (e.g. eating habits), but I eat well, work out, and never had this problem before taking Yasmin. A routine blood test showed I had high cholesterol, and when I saw my doctor, she told me that it was because of Yasmin, and it is a "common" side effect. That's awful. Shouldn't we be warned of these serious side effects before taking the pill, or at least Yasmin? | F | 30 | 3 years 1X D | 3/4/2010 | 3 | To stop heavy menstrual bleeding | Sharp chest pains, tired, but not all the time, starting to feel stabbing like pains in my thigh and upper arm area. Hot flashes and dehydration, (which has been corrected by drinking more water). | I'm very concern about taking Yasmin, however, if I don't take some form of birth control pill, I'll have what's called a "bleed out". In which, I lose large amounts of blood and/or have large blood clots during my periods. Therefore, I have a high risks of dying from a stroke or heart attack due to my blood loss each month. Either way, I have a high risk of dying or having serious complications. I'm not sure on what to do? | F | 18 | 1.5 years 0.03 1X D | 3/1/2010 | 2 | Birth control | oh f*ck.. it made me so moody and depressed to the point where i couldn't get out of bed. I had dry mouth and was always thirsty and having hot flashes | Helped clear up my face and keep my weight steady | F | 20 | 3 months 1X D | 2/27/2010 | 1 | birth control | Too numerous to list, already posted. | For those of you who have experienced terrible side effects from Yasmin or Yaz: Please visit the "Yasmin Survivors Forum" (if you type it into your search engine it will come up), where you will find many women who have experienced the same terrible side effects who are willing to offer advice and support. In the meantime, I wish you all the best of luck and improved health and well-being. | F | 26 | 5 years 28 day 1X D | 2/15/2010 | 2 | prevent pregnancy | depression, anxiety, extreme fatigue yet unable to sleep well at night, chest pains, upper respiratory infections, muscle pain/weakness, numbness/tingling hands and feet, swollen glands, cold hands and feet, severe cramps and debilitating migraines | I was on the generic Ocella, I thought this pill was great for the first three months.. I lost weight and had energy. Then around the fourth month I started having horrible mood swings, my pyschologist diagnosed me with bipolar disorder, now I realize I'm always in a depression cycle while on any birth control pill and when I go off it I go into a hypomania. The last month I was on it I had developed severe chest pains, high blood pressure, vasovagal episodes, I got really sick and my lymph nodes swelled so large I could barely move my neck and arms. I started swelling and couldn't urinate due to inflammation in my kidney's. I also started having a very difficult time sleeping at night, I was put on ambien to help with that. I thought my extreme fatigue was due to adrenal fatigue from the stress of not feeling well. My sex drive was always good, but I was very dry and sex was very painful sometimes. One month after stopping the pill, LIFE IS GREAT again! No pain, my mood is more consistant and getting better each day, I have tons more energy, and haven't needed ambien to sleep at night and now I sleep great! My body feels good again. The only thing I did notice was I have been retaining alot of water, probably due to the fact the potassium in the pill prevents this and my body is still adjusting. Take Yasmin/Ocella at your own discression. | F | 27 | 10 months 1X D | 2/12/2010 | 4 | Migraines, dull pain in abdomen | F | 24 | 2 years 1X D | 2/7/2010 | 1 | Birth Control after Medical Abortio | Month 1(August): spots, frequent urination. Month 2(Sept): terrible constipation, breasts grown from B to C. Month 3(Oct): extreme lower back pain, anxiety, loss of interest in social activities, got thrush. Month 4(Nov): no libido whatsoever, tender breasts, mood swings started(crying over nothing). Month 5(Dec): had a panic attack and started shaking and was diagnosed with anxiety disorder(six blood tests normal), spider veins on back, dizziness, got BV. Month 6(Jan): constant headaches for a week plus extreme fatigue(could sleep whenever I wanted, prominent veins on my areolas, paranoid that I'm pregnant(two tests negative), still have Thrush. | I didn't really put two and two together until the other day, but I've realised this is all because of Yasmin. I don't know why my doctor didn't say it may be Yasmin causing the anxiety, and I just didn't think it could be causing my headaches. Ugh, I wish I'd never gone on it. My back is covered in veins, and I'm only 20 years old. I hope they go now that I've quit. | F | 20 | 6 months 1X D | 2/7/2010 | 2 | birth control | pros: shorter periods, no mood swings cons: frequent yeast infections | F | 21 | 2 years 1X D | 2/4/2010 | 1 | birth control and regularity | daily headaches, blurry vision, constant nausea, vomiting for no reason, upset stomach, no sex drive, moody, depressed, no energy, slurred speech | I was on Yasmin for a little over 5 years, and for about 3 of the 5, I felt sick every single day. Terrible headaches. I had NO energy. I had lost my spirit. I have never been a moody or depressed person, and my husband and I would constantly fight about me not wanting to have sex. I have now been off of the pill for 11 months, and have never felt better. My periods are not as regular, my cramps are worse, and my skin got really bad for a while, but I would take all of that over how I felt on this medication. I finally linked the symptoms with the pill when I read all of the ratings on this site. So thank you! | F | 27 | 5 years 1X D | 2/4/2010 | 1 | acne | I suffered from a stroke which has caused permanent brain damage, the cause was Yazmin. Side effects: Sever mood swings, frequent fluctuation in weight, very short attention span, anxiety attacks, lots of crying, depression, night sweats, joint pain, muscle cramps, bowel movement issues, sever migraines, neck pain and lower back pain, cramps that made me cry, very emotional, always feeling down, sensitive breasts, dry mouth causing bad breath, heart burn. On the other hand it was good for the acne, hair growth, prevented me from getting pregnant, lighter and shorter, periods, and increased my sex drive. But I would not recommend this to anyone, the effects it has on everyone is different and some people might not feel it now and feel it later when it’s too late. I have caused permanent damage to my brain and could possibly have cancerous tumors in my brain from this pill. This is not safe at all!!!!! | This is not safe at all!!!!! | F | 25 | 1.5 years 1X D | 2/4/2010 | 2 | Ovarian Cysts | Mood swings, anxiety attacks, lower sex drive. Some weight loss (5lbs). | My doctor prescribed Yasmin because of some ovarian cysts. The first month was fine, and I was able to lose a little weight. However, during the second month I had no sex drive and I started having horrible mood swings and anxiety attacks. I really thought I was going crazy until I found this site. Women react differently to different medications, but for me, Yasmin was awful. | F | 30 | 4 months | 1/30/2010 | 4 | Birth Control | Pros: Prevented pregnancy, clearer skin, regular periods, no weight gain Cons: Headache, loss of sex drive | I have been taking Yasmin for 4.5 years on and off (my husband is military so I would give my body a break and not take the pill for 3-4 months when he was deployed every year). For the first three years i thought the pill was the best thing ever- I was very regular, had great skin, and had no side effects. During the 4th year on Yasmin I started getting persistent headaches for the whole week of my period. My sex drive was also decreased and was very dry all the time, needless to say that made sex painful. I am discontinuing my use of Yasmin now to see if those side effects will go away, and also because we are thinking about trying to conceive. I should also add that whenever I would go off the pill for a few months my face would break out. It wasn't horrible acne, but frustrating and embarassing for a 25 year old, so Ladies if you are thinking about getting off of Yasmin you should bump up your skin care routine right away to prevent the breakouts. | F | 26 | 4.5 years | 1/29/2010 | 3 | Birth Control | Moodiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, leg cramping, night sweats, significant weight gain. | I began taking Yasmin in either late 2005 or early 2006, I can't. While exercising regularly and maintaining the same overall eating habits; I gained weight. There were weeks where I gained 10 pounds with no rhyme or reason and nothing would help to lose it. My body did not have any physical changes to the exercise I was doing. I was frustrated beyond belief. Over the past few weeks, I began hearing more and more about Yasmin and complications people were having. This past weekend, I had a ton of time to do some thinking (I was painting my house) and was thinking a lot about Yasmin. I began constructing a time line in my head and began to wonder if the Yasmin was at all related to my weight gain, I began piecing the calendar in my head. I began researching some of the side effects of Yasmin and realized that while some people had no side effects, many people exhibited symptoms that I too was experiencing. I have been more irritable and moody, and a host of the other side effects I have seen. I sent a link to my boyfriend to read and his response was 'oh my, you have most of these'. We were together prior to my taking Yasmin. | F | 39 | 4 years | 1/14/2010 | 1 | BC | Heart Palpitations, Weight Gain, Fatigue, Lightheadedness, Confusion, Dizziness, Poor Circulation, Migraines. | PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE RISK!!!! I've been on Ocella (Generic for Yaz) for four years now, and did not think that all of these medical problems pertained to the pill, but I recently developed heart palpitations, and went in for a full cardio work up - they found a blood clot in my heart from the pill. The pill dehydrates you, and the estrogen in the pill promotes blood clots, so the dehydration & estrogen are like a double blood clot whammy. It was only after being diagnosed that the doctors tied everything together, and said it was from this pill. This pill has a fourth generation hormone in it that is known as a killer. 50+ women have died suddenly from taking this pill. Please weigh your options very carefully. I understand that not everyone will develop these problems, but maybe - just maybe you won't know it's happening until it's too late. Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?? | F | 34 | 4 years | 1/14/2010 | 3 | i had a never ending period | headaches | I had at least 5 headaches per week so I switched to Loestrin. Loestrin gave me migranes and made me gain about 10 pounds. Gaining that much weight was tramatizing for me.It also gave me severe mood swings and I felt depressed. Yaz is surely the best for my needs and even though I got headaches almost on a daily basis that's the only side effect I got and compared to all the other birth conrtol out there I would say that this one is best by far! | F | 16 | 4 months | 1/10/2010 | 1 | /Ocella: Prevent pregnancy | Acne, mood swings, stomach issues, anxiety, major fatigue | I have been on Ocella for about 3 years now and I never linked up my health issues to my pill. After beings hospitalized with a severe UTI and Flank Pain, I saw an add on the T.V. for lawyers and anyone using Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella. I became quite interested while sitting in the waiting room. When I got home, I started to look up patient reviews on the pill and could not believe what I was reading. So many of the health issues I was having within the past few years were spot on to what I had experienced. I have had SO many stomach issues, I cannot lose weight, I have mild acne that no matter what I do, it will not go away, I have mood swings that I never believed before, and I am always tired. I am a teacher and I thought that was the cause of my fatigue, but now I am second guessing that. Just last week, my morning had started out with a mild stomach pain. I had used the washroom, and immediately I became nauseated, dripped sweat, short of breath, and very irritable. I felt the feeling I have had before I have fainted a couple times. Good thing my mother came in and saw me struggling while sitting on the toilet. She got my some water and used the cool shot with the hair dryer. It took me about 10 minutes after that to become normal again. I just read a review from another girl that seemed somewhat familiar. Could that have been the birth control working at its finest? That same thing has happened more than once; probably a total of 4 times. I just got off the phone leaving a mess | F | 24 | 3 years | 1/7/2010 | 2 | Regulate cycle, birth control | Depression, nausea, neck, shoulder and back pains, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc. | F | 19 | 4 years | 12/29/2009 | 4 | Birth Control | When I was taking the Brand name "Yasmin" I had NO SIDE EFFECTS what so ever. But since Dr. changed it to Generic version, I felt sick and crazy emotion swings. | But over all Yasmin is one of the best birth control pills I've ever taking! | F | 30 | 5 years | 12/23/2009 | 4 | Birth Control | Ocella: depression, anxiety, mood swings, terrible boating, fatigue, lack of sex drive, heavy spotting in mid cycle, dehydration Yasmin: similar to Ocella but MUCH less | I was on Ortho Cyclene, Ortho tri-cyclene for 3 years before I switched to Yasmin. I loved it, all the side effects that I had with Ortho were gone and I felt normal on Yasmin. It's been 10 years, and for 3 years in between, I was put on Ocella by my insurance. I had a terrible experience with Ocella, as the years wore on; depression, anxiety, mood swings, terrible boating, fatigue, lack of sex drive... I was not happy and neither was my boyfriend. I requested to be put back onto Yasmin and have been back on it for a year and a half now. The heavy spotting stopped, the bloating is much less, the mood swings and depression are less, but the anxiety is still there. I still feel tired all the time. This is troubling me because even if I'm not doing anything, my chest feels heavy and it's hard to breethe. I get out of breath and my legs feel heavy and tired from just walking. I don't have a sedentary lifestyle or job and I'm not close to being even slightly overweight, so I can't attribute it to that. I did read some of the "new" side effects caused by abnormal potassium levels and it caught my attention. I'm in my early 30s and have been on this kind of BPC for 10 years. I may be well on my way to damaging my adrenal glands, which is scarrry. I am contemplating getting off BCPs all together or switching. I just don't know, either way you go, you run the same health risks or you risk getting pregnant... | F | 33 | 10 years | 12/16/2009 | 3 | regulate periods | muscle pain, joint pain, blurred vision, leg cramps, severe fatigue, loss of libido, emotional issues - pros: lighter, shorter period, no cramps, lost weight. | I went on Ocella about 15 months ago to help with horrible periods. About 10 months ago I started having muscle weakness/pain, joint pain, fatigue, irritability and several other symptoms. Went to several drs. all tests have come back negative, didn't really think it was Ocella until recently. Trying to get a hold of ob/gyn to get opinion. Don't really want to go back to period that last 14 days but also can't stand feeling like I'm 60 instead of 35. Stopped taking it yesterday to see if symptoms improve. | F | 35 | 15 months | 12/16/2009 | 2 | birth control | My doctor just told me that I have kidney stones. They're very small, but apparently I've been getting them for about a year and a half. I'm starting on a new pill today. | F | 29 | 4.5 years | 12/13/2009 | 2 | contraception | moody,depressed,overwhelming thoughts,violent outbursts,crying,headaches, leg cramps and painful twinges | I have taken this for nearly 2 years and have only recently in the last two months experienced such bad side effects my poor boyfriend gets the brunt of it.. I feel like I have no control over my moods and errupt over the most stupid of things and turn into psyco women..afterwards i feel so guilty and cant explain where it came from.. i have painful headaches at least once a week in my right eye where i just have to go to sleep, i cry uncontrollably and overwhelming thoughts control me. Im coming off of it now and I think im going to use condoms from now on.. reading all the negative comments has really put me off this pill. | F | 30 | 2 years | 12/8/2009 | 5 | birth control method, acne | none! | When i decided to go back on the pill i asked my doctor to prescribe me one that would help my skin because i'd been battling acne for months and nothing else seemed to work. My skin cleared up within the first month, i lost a few pounds, and my periods are lighter and shorter! | F | 21 | 2 months | 12/7/2009 | 1 | Birth Control | I took Yasmin for 3 years until I was 25. During that I time I did experience almost all of the side effects listed. However, I didn't know it since I had also been diagnosed as depressed. Two years later at 27 I suffered a massive stroke. A right vertebral dissection. Which basically means one of the four main arteries in my brian stem blew up. I lost my ability to walk, talk, and swallow. A little over a year later I still am numb on my left side, have a droopy right eye, and stutter occasionally. My world has been flipped upside down. I'm not sure if my situation is related since I wasn't currently taking taking the drug when I had my stroke but I'm going to look into it. In the mean time just be careful. There are different options. | F | 28 | 3 years | 12/6/2009 | 1 | Contraception. | Depression, Irritable, Back Pain, Headaches, Skin Irritation, Sleep Disturbances, Stress, Abdominal Bloating, & Loss Of Concentration. Not myself at all. | I have been on it for about 7 months and didn't have any problems, but then all of those symptoms came at once, it's been the worst month of my life. | F | 18 | 7 months | 12/4/2009 | 1 | To not get pregnant | Ladies if you are taking yasmin you need to stop!!!!!!!I almost DIED!! I was waking up in cold sweats, I passed out while I was using the bathroom and waking up from my bed. This stuff can kill you so if you are using yasmin please stop!!! I gained I lost weight, sex just was'nt the same. | F | 18 | 8 months | 12/1/2009 | 2 | PCOS | Extreme Nausea. Dizziness. Fatigue. Weight Gain. | Ladies, I have to say I have had a horrible experience with Yasmin. I have had PCOS for 2 years and I thought I'd get rid of my weight gain and hirutism problems by going on Yasmin. I've only been on it a month, but I can't stand the nausea and fatigue anymore. Half way I switched taking the pill from the morning to night - thinking it wouldn't effect me during the day, however this was not so. My diet has been the same and I've put on 3kgs the past month. I'm very bloated and so tired. I'm irritated at my Dr. for prescribing me this. Ufff! I know everybody is different but please think twice before taking this medication. I've decided to take myself off it and follow a strict exercise programme and eat healthy with limited carbs. I really think this is the best way! Good luck! | F | 20 | 1 months | 11/19/2009 | 1 | prevent pregnancy and treat PMDD | worsened mood. Suicidal thoughts. total loss of sex drive. Anxiety and feelings of worthlessness. | I would never recommend this medication to anyone. I feel betrayed that my doctor put me on it. | F | 36 | 3 months | 11/15/2009 | 4 | acne, avoid pregnancy, periods | Breast increase (fine with me haha), possible weight gain, lighter shorter periods, heart rate increase -- I work out regularly and this has caused my heart rate to be extremely high when working out which isn't always bad but kind of sucks because I become overheated | I have been on yasmin for 6 years. What I've learned after tryin a few but coming back is that you have to decide if negatives outweigh the positives. At first I thought yasmin was causing me to gain weight. But I feel like people that have issues pop up in their health always want to attribute it to birth control. Most americans are overweight, even obese..can't always blame birth control..you may become overly stressed and eat more a particular month. I know that yasmin for a fact caused my breast size to increase 1-2 cups so it could very well have caused my thighs, stomach, hips to as well. You have to realize that no b.c. is perfect..u could switch to another brand and have no side effects but down the road you might...or they could be even worse than yasmin. To me, it wasnt worth the battle of switching kinds every month and not knowing what would happen so I just stayed with this one since it's been okay for me. you also must realize that you need to try medicine FOR 3 MONTHS BEFORE KNOWING THE TRUE EFFECTS...so many people quit after 1 month. Also, I've heard of people gaining 20+ pounds on some birth control so I don't think 5 or 10 is much(plus if your breasts increase that could be 5 pounds just there). | F | 23 | 6 years | 11/11/2009 | 2 | ovarian cyst | I switch over to yasmin after my previous birth control caused me to have horrible mood swings (sorry honey). I am on the pill for my ovarian cysts, for this it works wonders. Although since starting yasmin I've noticed that I'm always tired, I feel depressed all the time, tend to cry alot, suffer from chest pains, lack of motivation, and sex drive umm... not really there (again sorry honey). I am usually a very happy and energetic person, who is up at the crack of dawn. I really just don't feel like myself... I'm going this week to talk to my doctor about changing. Be sure to check the side effects before taking this pill, I didn't... | F | 24 | 1 years | 11/9/2009 | 4 | birth control | The very first day that I took Yasmin, I woke up in the middle of the night and threw up. The next day, I felt fine. About 6 months into it, I started having occular migraines, which is all the visual effects of a migraine, but no headache. They lasted on and off for about another 6 months. It wasn't until I went to my eye doctor about them that he told me the two were connected, but I haven't had them since. | Yasmin had been relatively side effect free for me since the occular migraines went away. If it's causing other side effects, they weren't any that I could definitely associate with this drug. My periods are so light and easy now and are like clockwork. Although hearing all the negative press about it lately has had me looking into other brands. | F | 29 | 4.5 years | 11/7/2009 | 1 | irregular & very painful cycles | constant nausea, dizziness, vertigo, headaches, blurred vision, dry mouth, stabbing eye pain (intermittent), fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, highly emotional, enlarged & extremely painful breasts | I have taken this medication in previous years (on and off) with no major side effects until recently. I started back up on this pill to alleviate heavy, painful, irregular menstruation approx 6 weeks ago. Although Yasmin proved to be effective in relieving pain and lightening my cycle (in my case), I believe it to be the cause of numerous complications which seem to have developed after having started the pill pack 6 weeks ago. All of the previously described symptoms appeared within that time frame. Six days ago, I stopped taking Yasmin - most of these symptoms have disappeared with the exception of vertigo symptoms (nausea, brain fog, dizziness). The symptoms are intermittent and last for several minutes. | F | 41 | 5 weeks | 10/29/2009 | 1 | acne | panic attacks, depression, anxiety, fatigue, loss of motivation, stomache issues, joint pain, back pain, hair loss, night sweats. | it was fine at first but after 3 months i started noticing hair loss, extreme pms, anxiety and depression. i've been off it for a couple weeks and the withdrawl has been worse. this pill has wreaked total havoc on my emotional well being and physical health. | F | 27 | 3 months | 10/28/2009 | 3 | Birth Control | PROS: working birth control, shorter periods, & cleared up my face and upper back acne & pimples. CONS: weight gain, slight depression, (I'm on an anti-depressant; it worked better before I started taking Yasmin) headaches, restlessness, fainting after sex, & possibility of blood clots. | It works as a birth control just fine. The first thing I noticed, though, was the cramps. A month after I had been taking Yasmin, my first period came, and I had the worst cramps of my life. They've sort of gotten better after a year and a half, but they're still worse than I ever had them before. I have noticed, though, a complete change in my skin, for the better. Being a teenager with oily skin, I've had acne since I was about 10, and it's almost subsided completely after taking Yasmin. I'm afraid to keep using it, though, because of the commercials I've seen on TV and ads on websites saying that it creates blood clots and can cause death in women as young as 17. I've fainted twice after sex since I've been on Yasmin, which scares me even more. Also, I've gained at least 35 pounds since I've been taking it. My boyfriend has said that he thinks my breasts have gotten bigger since we first started dating, (which is when I started taking Yasmin) which I assume is from both the weight gain and just the fact that I'm on a birth control pill. But the thing is, that's bad for me, because I already had C-cups, and now they're D's. I'm only 4'11", and VERY over-proportioned. One other thing that I noticed, is that even though I'm on an anti-depressant, (Prozac) I still get over-emotional, or upset, like I used to before I started taking it. As soon as I can get in to see my doctor, I'm getting my birth control brand changed right away. | F | 17 | 1.5 years | 10/21/2009 | 3 | severe cramps, heavy periods | possible blood clot, extreme mood swings | cons: intermittent pain in my left arm about two inches below my elbow. i'm worried that it is a blood clot after doing some research. i've been experiencing extremely horrible mood swings. in the last year, i've started crying everyday about a week before i start. lately, it's everyday (multiple times a day sometimes) for two weeks before i start. that leaves 2 weeks out of the month that i'm not an emotional mess. pros: my severe cramps lightened up to where i'm able to fulfill my daily duties and not in bed for 3-5 days out of the month. the bleeding is much lighter and it's only about 3 days now, whereas it used to be about a week of extremely heavy bleeding. acne has cleared up, complexion is wonderful. no pregnancy. i am seriously considering getting off of yasmin. i would be open to any following remarks regarding other contraceptives or any feedback on yasmin users who have used it at least 1 year or more | F | 21 | 6 years | 10/15/2009 | 1 | to prevent pregnancy | It was okay in the beginning, but THEN...severe heartburn, taking zanez, prilosec, tums endlessly, ritadrine etc. Had a Hpilory workup for the disease that heartburn causes to the esophogus. Right arm with numbness. Bowel issues with leaking feces. No constipation, but endless movements. Dry skin, blurry vision. The list is endless. This stuff is poison. I don't know why Bayer who markets Yasmin and Ocella is not taken off the market. I started to have sleep issues so the Doc told me to get off the Ocella, knockoff of Yasmin. Like magic, the heartburn disappeared in 24 hours. Unbelievable. Now what do I do with the plethera of heartburn medication in my home? Bowel issues seem to be resolved also, I'm only days off of Yasmin. Something very very wrong with this birth control medication. Please someone get this take off the market before others suffered like me. I thought I was losing my mind. Angry at everyone People in general. This crap is horrible. I will use other means to prevent | F | 48 | 12 years | 10/14/2009 | 1 | Never had acne before now I wake up with 4-8 huge swollen cyst like pimples, I know its from this bc I use proactive and never had any problems w acne before. VERY Tired all the time, slight moody but not bad, ear ringing (weird) JUST SEVERE ACNE to the extreme. Its ruined my social life. | Ive been on bc pills since for 6+ yrs never again will I ever use yasmin this was just my experience but IT WAS A BAD one. I dont know what I will go back to but two months on this pill has ruined me. My dr wants me to try Lo Ovral (was on ovral before this) now im scared to death to even try anything else. Dont know what to do after yasmin.… | M | 23 | 2 months | 10/13/2009 | 2 | birth control | I have never felt so tired & lathargic in my life. | F | 35 | 6 days | 10/7/2009 | 1 | irregular periods, anxiety | Anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, mood swings, irritably, fatigue, thoughts of suicide, anger, road rage, explosiveness, crying spells, lack of ambition and creativity not to mention 8 pound weight gain, 9 day periods, sever cramps, acne and break through bleeding ... AWFUL! | O.K. Bear with me. I was sitting in history class listening to my professor discuss the election of 1800 between Burr and Jefferson and started getting misty eyed when Hamilton, Jefferson's "enemy" defended Jefferson by calling Burr an "Embryo Caesar" and "the most unfit man in the United States for the office of President." Jefferson won. I cried silently. That's when I realized my emotions were seriously messed up! I have never felt like "breaking down" in history class. And we discussed some pretty heavy stuff like the Boston Tea Party. All that tea gone to waste! Kidding aside, this pill made me extremely emotional. I was almost out of control. Every little thing triggered a crying spell. The funny thing is, my doctor prescribed this medication because she said I was "Type A" and a bit overstrung. Wow! This pill sent me over the edge. I don't even remember what upset me so much that I slammed my elbow into a wall, putting a small dent in the wall and a quarter size bruise on my elbow. I was restless, irritable, waking up in fits of panic/terror, hot as hell (as in temperature, not looks mind you) I had extreme fatigue ... I thought I had mononucleosis, no sex drive at all (not even for Thomas Jefferson which is surprising because I like a man who isn't afraid to lead ;) Thank goodness for my sense of humor or I would be in an asylum right now. Trust me, this is not an experience I'd like to repeat. Stopped | F | 22 | 3 months | 10/7/2009 | 3 | Regulate periods, acne, birth cntrl | Extreme moodiness, depression | I started taking yasmin to regulate periods and clear up skin. I am a very placid person and have never seen myself so moody and snappy while on yasmin. Has cleared up skin a little and regulated periods. | F | 18 | 2 months | 10/4/2009 | 5 | heavy, prolonged periods & BC | very very mild. sometimes when i wake up very early i get mild morning sickness. | I've been on it for 3 years and have had very little problems. I used to bloat and had terrible weight gain ortho tricyclin. absolutely no complaints and am actually surprised at the list of complaints. | F | 18 | 3 years | 9/30/2009 | 1 | contraceptive | Acid Reflux, Facial Numbness, TMJ, Migraine Headaches, Allergies, Weepiness, Anxiety, Mild Depressive Tendencies, Numbness in Hands/Fingers, Vision Changes, Sleep Disturbances, Ear Popping and Fullness, etc. | Will be coming off of Yasmin soon. Went off for a little while, went back on, and experienced an unbelievable amount of side effects. Google Yasmin side effects and you will be amazed at the amount of women who have had trouble with this pill. The FDA is now involved and there was a recent article about it the NY Times. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL!! | F | 26 | 5 years | 9/29/2009 | 4 | | 9/20/2009 | 4 | Excruciating Cramps | I have been on Yasmin(ocella) for 2 months. So many people seem to have so many symptoms. I don't seem to have any at all. In the first month, I did break out with mild acne which was annoying and it did increase my headaches. But I stuck with it and now I've cleared up and headaches gone. I don't feel any different. I am a little concerned though because since I started taking it, I've noticed that my VAGINA HAS BEEN GETTING VERY ITCHY with a little discharge. It's not a yeast infection and I am not sexually active. I don't know if it is a symptom but it didn't start till I started taking it. It's off and on, but not bad enough to interfere with my day. I haven't had any weight change, maybe a little loss, but i've been working out. 2 month was great. It lasted a little longer than my normal period but I had no symptoms. | I've managed to be allergic to 3 other birth control pills including ortho tri cylon which all caused permanent damaged. My doctors believe they may be the cause of my Pseudo tumor cerebrii (over production of spinal fluid in brain) My advise to you, is if your period is lasting 2 weeks or more STOP TAKING IT. Ortho tri cyclon made my have a period for three weeks and I was ill for a very long time. Overall I think the pill is ok. It's rough at first, but it comes along. It may not be for everyone. We each have different hormone levels. Talk to your doctor if you are having too many symptoms. It may not be the right one for you. ^_^ Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. I have a lot of experience with birth control pills. | F | 21 | 2 months | 9/16/2009 | 1 | Pregnancy Prevention/Acne Control | Depression, breast pain, irregular bleeding, weight loss | Would not recommend this drug. I have taken numerous types of birth control in terms of Depo, Seasonale, Ortho Cyclin, Alessa, Patch,etc. Never in my life had I ever experience what I did on this drug. I went into a deep depression. This drug caused me to over think everything. I thought of people that I mistreated in high school over 20 years ago. | F | 36 | 1 months | 9/15/2009 | 2 | contraception | weight gain, increased appetite, sore breasts, mood swings; irritable, overly sensitive/emotional for no reason, leg cramps | I've been on Yasmin for just over 2 months, its my first attempt at oral birth control and I'm not impressed :( I find that I'm eating all the time, even when I'm full, like I have no control! I have become more irritable and irrationally emotional, mostly ending in tears. I have had sharp pains in my breasts and they have grown a cup size. It has prevented me from getting pregnant but I'm doubting weather it is worth it! | F | 18 | 2 months | 9/13/2009 | 4 | contraceptive | Yasmin Pros: no pregnancy, no major side effects Yasmin Cons: minor moodiness/weepiness after every period, minor nausea and serious moodiness for first month or two that I started taking it until my body adjusted. Ocella Pros: significantly larger and firmer breasts, minorly improved complexion, minor weight loss, no noticeable emotional side effects Ocella Cons: severe breast tenderness (waking me up at night!), more frequent urination (also waking me up at night!) | I took Yasmin for a little over 2 years and was fairly happy with it. It took me about 2 months to adjust to Yasmin the first time I started taking it. I did notice that I would be weepy for a few days after I started each new pack, but overall it prevented pregnancy (which would definitely have made me cry even more!) and had no other noticeable side effects (Most of the side effects I listed are for when I was switched to Ocella: keep reading...). I quit taking Yasmin to get pregnant, then began taking Ocella (generic Yaz) after I was done breastfeeding. I have now been on Ocella for about 6 weeks and am NOT happy! Although I haven't noticed any moodiness as I had previously with Yasmin, my physical side effects have been very unpleasant. The primary side effect I've noticed is VERY sore, achy breasts. My breasts are now larger and firmer (which I was originally very happy about, as pregnancy and breastfeeding left me with sad, saggy old lady boobs). However, the road to those large, firm breasts has been very painful! I have been losing weight steadily, which is also a pleasant surprise as I thought it might cause me to gain weight. But overall the side effects have been more unpleasant than they've been worth. I will give it 6 more weeks (3 months total) to see if my body just needs to adjust, but if I'm still uncomfortable I'll be switching back to Yasmin. | F | 27 | 2.5 years | 9/9/2009 | 4 | birth control | slightly a little more tired than usual; some breast tenderness, | so far everything is going well. no server side effects. i have decided to see what this pill can do for me, instead of getting wrapped up in everyone else side effects... i think that reading all of the possible negative side effects can turn anyone into a hypochondriac so read with caution... and speak to your doctor about you personal experince with side effects. | F | 26 | 2 weeks | 9/9/2009 | 2 | birth control | depression, tiredness, feeling out of breath, twiching pain in my calves, loss of confidece/motivation, increased breast size but also sensitivity, loss of sex drive, headaches, mild nausea, constipation & gas, increased appetite, spotting | This is the 1st time I took any BC pill, but after my bf and I had a pregnancy scare earlier this summer (which ended in a miscarriage), I figured I didn't want to take any more chances for the time being. My doctor told me I should be ok on the pill considering that I was healthy w/ all blood readings normal. Unfortunately, since getting on this pill, I've had all of the mentioned side effects which make it very impractical/undesirable for me to continue with this. The worst is probably the mental fog/depressed state and irritability over small, non-sensical things. I thought this pill was supposed to eaze PMS symptoms; instead I feel I'm PMS-ing all the time! The overall feeling is similar to early pregnancy except with more depression :-( I am not convinced that switching pills is going to make any difference since they're all hormonal-based. I will investigate the viability of the non-hormonal IUD. If that doesn't work, I'll have to tell my bf it's back to condoms!! | F | 28 | 17 days | 9/8/2009 | 5 | Birth Control | No side effects | This pill was fine for me no sore breasts and no weight gain unlike previous pill (Cilest). Stopped taking Yasmin last month as now trying for a baby and haven't noticed any significant difference in how I'm feeling however I have noticed I seem to be losing more hair than normal. | F | 34 | 5.5 years | 9/6/2009 | 1 | contraception | Hi there, In July of this year I had a feature published in Easy Living magazine in the UK entitled 'What you should know about the pill' - due on my research, and my own experiences of the pill I have decided to keep writing on this topic in the form of a blog. http://www.sweeteningthepill.blogspot.com/ I hope you find it interesting and useful. Holly Grigg-Spall | F | 26 | 12 months | 9/6/2009 | 4 | Birth Control, Regulation, Cramps | Reaction to MILK Products.... Acne got worse in first couple weeks but is actually way better now Sex Drive Decreased a little bit | So it served its main purpose... to prevent pregnancy. however the biggest thing is now I can't have milk products. weird combo but same goes for my sister who's on Yas. I always would get severe cramps putting me out for an entire day and this pill has reduced that to minor cramps which is fabulous. | F | 22 | 3 months | 9/4/2009 | 4 | Acne | I am thirsty a lot and have to urinate often, but that is the only bad side effect so far. I have only been on it for a month but I have already lost weight, I no longer crave sugar, I haven't had a breakout since I've been on it, I am no longer moody and depressed and I also have been going to the gym everyday and liking it, which is crazy for me. | I was scared to take yasmin, because I had been on alesse for 10 years and was used to it, but I am so happy I switched, I am much more pleasent now, and my health has greatly improved. | F | 26 | 1 months | 9/2/2009 | 5 | Acne | Muscle cramping, a little more emotional perhaps | I've just finished my 4th month and I'm finally not getting inflammed acne! This is a lifesaver as my acne was scarring. I hope this keeps up. | F | 25 | 4 months | 8/28/2009 | 1 | Birth control & regulate periods | anxiety, mood swings, depression, fatigue, INSOMNIA, extreme cramping, weight gain (15lbs, decrease libido, & pregnancy sypmtoms (enlarged breasts, huge stomach, goose bumps on areola,). | I definitely don't recommend this or trinessa. I have continued to experience side effects even though I have been off the drug for a little over a month. Since I have been off of YAZ I had heavy bleeding 1st day of cycle, spotting the next day, and then nothing for the next 2 days and then spotting that lasted the next several days. My stomach exploded as though I were pregnant and I would have sharp cramps in my abdomen out of no where. | F | 25 | 3 weeks | 8/27/2009 | 1 | birth control | complete loss of sex drive, mood swings, anxiety | I used to be on ortho-tri-cyclen lo until my friend recommended Yasmin. It works fine as birth control, but I found myself getting moodier and worried about everything for no reason. I used to love sex with my boyfriend (we would do it every day) but the sex drive slowly went away. Now I just don't feel like it at all and we go weeks without sex. :( It makes me even more angry and moody! I am going off this pill immediately, especially reading about other people's experiences. | F | 24 | 2 years | 8/24/2009 | 1 | Endometriosis, PCOS, Contraception | terrible nausea, kept me awake for hours each night. Restlessness. | The day i started this pill i got ill that night and every night after that was the same. Can not continue | F | 24 | 1 months | 8/13/2009 | 5 | birth control | Yasmin is great, its has kept me free from menstrual cramps. | I have been taking Yasmin for almost 3 years now and i think its one of the best things that has happend to me. I would suffer so much from menstrual cramps and my periods would last about five days, thanks to Yasmin now i have no cramps (well maybe very minor ones) but nothing compared to what i have suffered before taking Yasmin. Also my periods are only 3 days long and pretty light. It has helped me maintain almost free from acne (the breakouts usually occur when my menstrual cycle is going to start). No problems with sex drive, weight gain, nausea, headaches or joint pain. So i would highly recommend Yasmin. Although i know all bodies react differently. But if you suffer badly from menstrual cramps like i did before, my advice at least try it. =D | F | 25 | 3 years | 8/11/2009 | 3 | Birth Control | A LOT OF MOOD SWINGS, Depression, Legs feel funny | Well its my third day on the pill. So far very emotional, sex drive not effected | F | 16 | 3 days | 8/9/2009 | 1 | Birth Control | Severe G/I issues - gas & cramping. Headaches, eye pain. Slowly building: depression, numbness in hands and feet, lethargy, loss of intrest, back, joint & leg pains. | I can't belive I've finally put this together. Was on Yasmin w/o any major complaint for 3 yrs. Switched to Ocella about a year ago, and that's when the symptoms started. The GI issues cropped up 1st and when I brought to my GYN's attention he suggested I try Culturel to help (which it did, but I still get episodes at times). Last month I went to my GP and requested lyme's test because I was so fatigued and achy with numbness in wrists and hands as well as feet. Thyroid was also checked and all came back normal. Meanwhile, I'm irritable and feel angry or like crying all the time: real mental around my husband and kids and complete lack of intrest in things that usually bring me joy. It comes in spurts, but even on a good day I can tell it's there and I'm not quite myself....when the lows hit, it's such an overwhelming feeling of unhappiness I can't ignore it anymore. Since this is the only medication that I'm on, I can't imagine why it has taken me so long to figure it out. Thanks so much for this blog!!! Will definitely stop taking & follow up w/ GYN. | F | 37 | 12 months | 8/9/2009 | 1 | Mood swings, cramps, the usual | I experienced a blood clot from Yasmin. It was from my knee to above my belly button. I don't recommend it for anyone!! | Im not the only one who got blood clots. Now there are commercials for anyone who has had a clot or blood disorder because of this pill | F | 22 | 5 months | 8/5/2009 | 4 | long lastin periods&melasma&&acne | Bloating;cramps during that time of the month. I haven't even been on this pill for a month and its already changed my life:: It has really helped regulate my cycle and cleared up my acne a lot. My melasma is still in the fading process but it gets better everyday! Im only 15 on this pill and havent expierenced any difficulty with it. I've actually lost weight as well!!!! School is bout to start in a couple of weeks and i am so thankful for yasmin. Its been a great expierence so far. I would recommend yasmin to all women :) | F | 15 | 28 days | 8/4/2009 | 2 | I used to be on Yasmin for 2 1/2 years and then switched to Yaz because my doctor had recommended it. I have been on it for a little over a year now, and after reading all the reviews I have realized all my problems are being caused by the pill!! I have weird mood swings and will breakdown and cry for no reason... I have NO sex drive, my boyfriend gets mad at me and I never knew why I wasn't in the mood!! I have developed melasma on my cheeks (small brown spots) which have made me very insecure and embarassed about it... I have spotting, my period is always late and lasts for more than 4 days.. I still get cramps.. my hormones are completely screwed up!! As soon as I finish the pack I will get off Yaz and be done with birth control completely, its not worth it with all the side effects!!! I don't recommend this to ANYONE! | F | 21 | 4 years | 8/4/2009 | 1 | Birth Control, Cramps | Headaches, Nausea, Loss of sex drive. | I was orginally on Yaz due to major mood problems, and for one year, I was great on Yaz. This year, they started me on Yasmin, and ever since, I've been nothing but exhausted, headaches, and nausea. I've always been able to have a few alcohol drinks, but ever since I've been on Yasmin, I'll have a spoon of alcohol and it makes me have stomach pain and nothing but nausea until the alcohol gets out of my system (a couple of hours). I've called the doctor and said "get me off of this stuff!!!". Loss of sex drive. Yasmin is awful, and will NEVER take it again! | F | 22 | 6 months | 8/4/2009 | 2 | Birth control | Fatigue, Moodiness, Breakthrough Bleeding, Periods lasting over 2 weeks, Periods coming when not on Placebo pill, tender breasts, weight gain, depression | F | 28 | 1.5 years | 7/29/2009 | 3 | To regulate period and stop PMS | I have been taking yasmin for nearly 6 months now. My GP prescribed me Yasmin because I suffered from extremely painful period pains and mood swings and also because I have polycystic ovaries. I must admitI didnt have any side effects such as nausea however I think it stopped me from losing weight somehow. I walk to work and go to the gym but dont seem to lose anything I also eat healthy. If it wasnt for the weight gain I would have recommended yasmin but I guess everyones bosy is different, many women have said good things about it compared to other pills. | F | 25 | | 7/28/2009 | 3 | Level My Mood | Blurry Vision, Felt like I was living in a dream ( head fog) bloating and water retention in belly, hips, and butt. My skin became dry, but my breakouts really subsided. (i had mild to maybe moderate acne before the pill) Still got a pimple or two though while on it. | In all fairness, I was only on this for 3 months, but my gut feeling was that i knew it was not going to get any better. I was on birth control from 16 to 22 and decided to come off at 22. Bad idea! I started getting oily skin and breakouts, but also became crazy. My hormones were so out of wack. I am now 24 and decided to go back on. I was on yasmin for 3 months and the first 2 months were fine. My third month was when I started feeling weird. My ears always felt like they had to pop, I felt like my mind was very foggy and looking at bright light affected me as well. I also started putting on weight. I eat healthy and work out 5 days a week. It just kept coming on. I am extemely bloated. I should have givin it 1 more month but, i think it wouldn't have imporoved. My moods did level out though and i was a nicer person, but the weight gain and especially the mind fog was just not worth it. Also, girls look at how long a person was on a pill. 1 to 2 months is not long enough to determine if it is right for you. EVEN 3 MONTHS may not be as long. I maybe should have gven it another month , but that was just a judment call. I just stared Loesrin fe 24 last night so hopefully that will help. | F | 24 | 3 months | 7/26/2009 | 1 | Birth control | Was fine while on yaz. But have been enduring severe withdrawl side effects. Was on it for 6 years. Suffered severe panic attacks, constant anxiety, depression and nausea when stopping. Doctors say my hormones are all off since yaz was doing all the work for so long. Have read endless stories similar to my own. Hoping my body gets back to normal soon. | Take something else! I am now turned off to all birth control pills. | F | 31 | 6 years | 7/26/2009 | 3 | Birth control, acne | Negative -High blood pressure, bloating, fatigue (until I started taking b vitamins), emotional mess the first month. Positive - clearer skin, improved mood | Let's face it girls, all combination birth control pills are no fun to be on. As far as BCP goes, Yasmin (or Ocella I should say - I can't afford name brand) has been tolerable. I was an anxious, emotional and jealous mess for the first month or two while my hormones adjusted. My acne got a little worse at first but now, my skin has never looked better. I lost some weight in the beginning but it creeped back up to my starting weight thanks to the estrogen. I personally cannot tolerate the estrogen though - it is causing bloating and high blood pressure. So, I am considering switching to the mini-pill, Micronor. I experienced extreme fatigue at first as well, which was reversed when I started taking a b vitamin complex- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE WHILE ON YASMIN... it helps alleviate the adrenal fatigue that is inevitable after being on drospirenone for a while. | F | 23 | 4 months | 7/24/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |