SIDE EFFECTS FROM YAZ

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Wow. I have been on Yaz for almost a year now. My husband and I were discussing my mood changes and trying to figure out whats up. Ever since I have been on the pill, I have become moody - which I never was before. I get angry and snap easily. I am permanently exhausted. My sex drive is from hero to zero. My back and legs are always aching and battle to sleep because of it at night. Terrible headaches that are frequent. I have a pack of anti-inflammatory's and painkillers with me all the time. The week before my period - I can feel its on its way with terrible pains. After reading the comments on this site - I have just taken my last Yaz pill!!! It really felt as if I was reading my own story over and over again. So glad I saw this site.

Wow. I have been on Yaz for almost a year now. My husband and I were discussing my mood changes and trying to figure out whats up. Ever since I have been on the pill, I have become moody - which I never was before. I get angry and snap easily. I am permanently exhausted. My sex drive is from hero to zero. My back and legs are always aching and battle to sleep because of it at night. Terrible headaches that are frequent. I have a pack of anti-inflammatory's and painkillers with me all the time. The week before my period - I can feel its on its way with terrible pains. After reading the comments on this site - I have just taken my last Yaz pill!!! It really felt as if I was reading my own story over and over again. So glad I saw this sight.

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I started taking Yaz after my first birth control, Alese, grew to be too weak for my body and its cycles, as was proven by very annoying break through bleeding. I was on Yaz for one month before I was awaken by my first night terror, at the time I couldn't understand why it had happened and I was extremely worried that I was starting to lose my mind. The second month I was on the pill, I was evil and mean and selfish and demanding of my boyfriend, which resulted in our break up. (however, we are still together now and he understands the situation) On the third month, I started to become extremely paranoid and terrified at night over everything; shadows, sounds, creaks in bed, and the dark especially. I had to take my mirror off my wall as well because I would find that I couldn't look at myself without feeling sick or scared and I constantly felt as though I was trapped or being watched. (the paranoia)I even had to sleep with my mom a few nights (which at 16, can be very humiliating) because I was so terrified, and when I couldn't sleep in her bed, I'd have to sleep with the light on in my room. Right now, I am still suffering; however, I have not been off of Yaz for long at all, under a week in fact. I'm hoping, and praying that once this drug is out of my system that I will no longer be depressed and paranoid and return to my normal self. I DO NOT recommend this drug to any woman who is very hormonal or emotional, and if you do attempt to try this drug, do so with extreme caution; know yourself enough to figure out when something is not right, and if nothing adds up, you know you can blame Yaz.

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Im on my third month of yaz right now, and Im really not enjoying it. Although I don't have any severe side effects , this is what I've been experiencing . First month was pretty good, albeit minor breakouts, no bleeding no nothing ( even though I missed 2 pills). Second month I noticed I had shortness of breath and alot of fatigue, nothing major really. Now here is where I really got pissed, the week before my Placebos, I started having heavy bleeding, with some pretty painful cramps, went on non stop for the whole week, so I just sat in bed with aleve. Finally after my placebos I stopped. Starter my third month well, until last Monday I missed my pill at the regular time, took it a couple hours late. I immediately started bleeding heavy once again with the horrible cramps, and I broke it in cysts on my face and back, so painful I couldnt even sit back in bed. So I here I am, bleeding through the holidays and pissed off. I'm going to see my doc later, and probably throw these pills in the trash where they belong. Please, everyone and sure you don't miss a pill!

Yesterday was my last placebo pill and I will never take Yaz again. Here is my personal BeYaz story. I was prescribed BeYaz because I have PMDD and probably the worst cramps known to woman. The first month, I was excited and positive to try something to cure me of my heavy mood swings and cramps, shortly after is when new symptoms began to develop. I will admit, my cramps were not nearly as intense, however- all of the pain from bloating quickly shifted to my head. The last 5 or so days of the month (mostly on the placebo pills) I had the worst migraines to a point where it was hard to function. I had never experienced headaches like this. My entire head right now feels like there is a ton of pressure pounding on it to a point where my ears and thyroid glands don't even feel right. I also experienced some heart palpitations one evening which was the scariest thing. I think that my gynecologist is the sweetest woman and a very knowledgeable doctor in her field, but I can't imagine why any doctor would want to put their name on such a dangerous product. This needs to be taken off of the shelves immediately.

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I've been taking Yaz for about 7 months and am considering changing pills. I am basically satisfied with Yaz, but am indecisive about whether or not I am experiencing side effects. The biggest issue I've noticed is mood swings pertaining to my relationship. I get irritated with my boyfriend at the drop of a hat, and find it hard to control my anger towards him... even in front of our friends. Part of this may be that I am rightfully upset with him, but I think my reactions tend to reach an unreasonable extent. I also experience occasional leg pains at night that are so bad I end up taking an Advil. I saw a woman on the news who experienced this side effect before discovering a blood clot caused by Yaz. Otherwise,I have experienced bouts of anxiety (although I've suffered with anxiety for most of my life) as well as mild depressive thoughts (nothing severe or crippling). I also experience a severe decrease in libido every one in a while. Could these symptoms be linked to Yaz, or are they just natural aspects of my personality? I'm thankful not to be suffering any SEVERE symptoms and am afraid that if I switch pills I will be unhappy with the new brand. Can anyone offer advice??

I was prescribed yaz tablets 3 years ago and used them only for 2 months, I was very fit prior to that, did half marathon, city2surf 14 km run, was in great condition when suddenly I wasn't able to run few kms without stopping. I'm diagnosed now with asthma - it's not severe asthma but I can't run anymore without taking ventolin inhaler prior. Never in my life I had asthma symptoms prior to yaz. I think they should put it as a side effect of taking yaz as this obviously looks like it from the other comments. Did they cover up that information when they were approving yaz to be used ? To me it looks like the information on yaz are not descriptive enough. Be aware of that when u start to take it.

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I took Yaz for nearly 4 years, and was very happy with it at first. However, in the last year, I've developed horrible side effects--I've been irritable, severely exhausted (to where I'd fall asleep at work or by 6 p.m. nightly), migraines weekly, shortness of breath, and had no sex drive. As a newly-wed, 27 year old, I felt like I was an old lady! I had numerous tests done and some levels were off, but nothing was very telling. However, after going off Yaz, I have felt so much better! All the negative side effects have left. I haven't had a headache for two months and my energy level has come back. Thank you for all the comments not making me feel like I was alone in my symptoms!

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I am 23 years old and I started taking Yaz last December. Thought it was the greatest thing ever as I had no side effects aside from an increased chest size. 4-5 months later, everything went completely downhill. My symptoms were: chest pain, my breathing felt like I was under water (very labored), massive panic attacks, dizziness, shaking, nausea, diarrhea on a daily basis, Depression, Anxiety, heartburn/indigestion, and paranoia that I was going to die all the time. I went to the hospital twice for panic attacks… recommended both times to start seeing a psychologist for anxiety. I asked the doctors and the psychologist if the pill could be giving me this anxiety and these symptoms that I have never experienced before. They said it was HIGHLY UNLIKELY. I finally did the right thing and stopped listening to them. Went off the pill in June. I have not had ONE panic attack since my last pill, and NO anxiety at all! I lost 5 llbs the first week I went off them, my hair is fuller (I never even noticed hair thinning while on it), and I don't have any of those terrible symptoms. If you felt like I did while on the pill, there is hope! Life is so much better without Yaz!

Thank you all for posting all your stories, I feel so much better knowing I am not alone in how I am feeling. I started yaz 7 days ago and I cannot believe how it has made me feel. Constant nausea, leg and lower back pain and tightness in the chest! Went to my GP and they said it sounds like a viral infection but I just new it couldn't be. So I decided to go to the ER and the doctor has told me it is a possibility that this has caused this. All I know is before I started taking yaz I felt fine. So tonight I will stop it! I was prescribed this for irregular and painful periods but will put up with this until I can find something that will help. Good luck to you all.

My story may be a bit different. I happen to be a frantic mother searching on the internet for yaz side effects.. My daughter took just one pill for the first time and she is really ill from it. her symptoms include dizziness,headache, jitters and severe back pain. she feels intoxicated. how could any doctor or the FDA approve this birthcontrol is beyond me.

Alright i had been taking yaz for three years and i never had any severe side effects other than i was just moody and i formed non malignant fibrocystic tissue in my breasts so i quit taking it in marc of 2011, i do not know if its related but i started getting chest pains in late april, my doctor claimed it just to be a sinus infection and gave me antibiotics, the chest pains started to worsen to the point i cannot sleep without taking melatonin capsules at night, one night in may i thought i was having a heart attack and called the ambulance, the EMS said that my vitals were fine and i was just probably having an anxiety attack, i have not taken anything to treat my anxiety except st. johns wort vitamins because i do not like prescription medicine that messes with my head, but since than ive been having extremely bad chest pains that at times feel like a stabbing to even a burning, along with being light headed when i get these pains. my doctor just says its anxiety but its been going on for almost 6 months now and the symptoms are worsening, could this be something that was caused by yaz that i need to be concerned about? please answer im only 21 and tired of going to my doctor without any real answers on why im getting these irritating pains.

I took the yaz pill for about 3 months 3 years ago (i am now almost 23) because they were a cheaper option than what i had been taking, and I noticed in the span of four days (during which I had zero stress and was madly in love w my boyfriend) I started crying for no reason and lost that madly-in-love feeling, as well as all emotion except sadness. I knew it was the pill and got off but no doctor believed it could possibly be the cause. The extreme panic attacks stopped a week after stopping the pill but the anxiety and lack of emotion has remained for 3 years now. I am on and off anxiety meds now. I used to have that madly in love feeling and I considered myself a really strong person emotionally (never once gad i experienced a panic attack) but all that flew out the window in 4 freaking days! I can "fake" emotions now but it is like there is a disconnect between my brain and my emotions. For ex I may think/know something is funny but I emotionally have to force a laugh or smile. It comes as second nature now but you never really forget what it was like before and what normal feels like. I hope some dr starts realizing the emotional connection to this med and they all stop prescribing it. I even have a friend on the pill and she is having same problems now but keeps listening to docs and won't stop taking the pill. Worst Med Ever Created! Thanks Bayer!

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I have been taking Yaz for over 2 months now, and I have had some serious side effects, including a very salty/dry taste in my mouth. Has anyone else had this too?

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Personally, I havent had any really bad side effects with Yaz.. Ive been taking it since Feb 2010, so its been 18 months, and I havent had any real bad side effects. I actually really like that I have lighter periods and no acne. The only thing that is inconsistent is the menstrual cramps. sometimes they're awful, and sometimes they're not even there.

I think everyone is different which is why Yaz isnt the best for certain people. Like in my case, Ill be 20 in sept and ive been on it for 18 months, and no complications. I think genetics and family history can have a huge inpact on how well you receive the medication. Aswell as lifestyle, other medications you may be taking, and your body itself.

....Actually there is a downside for me.. When my boyfriend and I started our relationship, we were inseparable, and now I do notice a lack of libido.. Which sucks, especially when he goes to all the trouble of being romantic and I'm just not that into "it". but healthwise, I dont have any complications

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Im 27 years old and have had been taking yaz since February until 4 days ago.
Have you ever had withdrawal effects before?.I am also on gabapentine for epilepsy, but think i had no problems with the combination appart from severe weight loss which may or maynot be due to yaz . Since giving up Yaz , i have become more tired,irritable,impatient, mood swings like crazy. this has never happened to me before, can any one give any answer or advice?

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Having been on Yaz several months now, I have had worse symtoms than I did prior to Yaz, mood swings, pain in chest, swealing in ankles, loss of appetite, depression, frustration, panic attacks, irregular heart beat, wanting to be alone, periods on and off during month, i felf sick and tied of this stupid pill, that i had enough. This stupid Yaz belongs in the rubbish bin and shouldnt be out on the market. U stupid bastards, go and give it to your wifes to experiment on, you pigs...

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I have been reading and reading and see a lot of people have similar if not the same problems as my wife but I never see anyone saying what they did or took to fix the issues.

She took Yaz for about 6 months close to 2 years ago....after 6 months I had her get off of it, it has now been close to 2 years but she is still getting chest pains, stomach pains and now really bad mood swings/crying depressed/nothing makes her happy...then fine then sad again.
We just had a pet die and now it is really bad.

The cardio Dr found nothing as it seems none of them do with yaz. I took her to another Dr and all they wanted to do was give her another BC pill which I wont allow...it will just go from one frying pan into another.

So has anyone had anything similar where the symptoms lasted for over a year and what did they take do to cure the problem. What can be done to help with chest pains? the depression? We really just dont want to take a bunch of drugs to help with the depression. Is there a particular type of Dr that would be good to go too? Any help will be appreciated getting desperate

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I started taking Yaz 5 months ago since my last bc was wrecking my life with mood swings. At first Yaz was great, a little nausea but nothing I couldnt handle. During the second month I started getting stomach cramps and ongoing nausea that lasts for days. It is now to the point that it is affecting my eveyday life and the cramps and nausea are lasting up to 2 weeks. I could undertsand if the cramps were due to menstration but its two weeks before. The only perk from this pill is that I now have radiant skin!!! Not worth the trade off! Time to look for a new bc!

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My daughter is 20 years old and been on Yaz for about 2 weeks. She is living in California for the summer as she has a paid internship at Google.I do not recognize my daughter anymore when she calls us. She is erratic. Angry. Hates her life in San Francisco. Hates her job. Swears at us. Fights with us when she calls. Hangs up when she calls. She had a panic attack at her desk today at work. She things it is just work related. I know it is not. She refuses to believe that it is Yaz. She thinks she just needs to get used to Yaz. I am terrified for her. She could lose everything she has worked so hard to gain. She is beautiful and brilliant. But she is refusing to see what is happening to her is because of Yaz. We live in Canada, so far away from her. I have researched extensively many blogs about the bad effects of this drug. This is not a birth control pill. This is a drug. And it is destroying my daughter. How can I make her stop it:

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I have a son that just turned one and for almost 11 months I have been struggling with many things that I had no answer for! First it started off that my vision would go blurry at times, so I went to the eye doctor and everthing was fine. They said it was probably just hormones getting back in balance. Then I noticed how irritable I was! I also have a 3 year old, and my temper has NEVER been so short! My poor kids have no idea when my fuse is gonna blow. So my OB put me on an antidepressant...nothing changed. That was a waste of money for several months! And in that time I also started losing a TON of hair! Again they said it was probably just hormones. And about February is when I started noticing that I was putting on a lot of weight. I never put a thought to it about it being the birth control until this last month when I started reading testimonials about YAZ. It totally makes sense! After reading everyone's side effects, I don't feel so depressed about my weight gain anymore. I actually feel better knowing that! I am going to switch to a different BC and see if anything changes.

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I am a 44 year old elite long distance runner in excellent health. I started taking Yasmin in January 2009. By July I was having 1 -2 hours of palpitations every night. In October, 2009 I blacked out in a hotel room while I was by myself. In February 2010 I had a cardiac arrest on a bus. I had no pulse or respirations for 3 minutes. My husband and 2 bystanders did CPR on me and managed to revive me. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and admitted to the cardiac care unit. The only medication I was on was Yasmin.

I ended up getting a cardiac defibrillator implanted in my chest and I stopped taking Yasmin. Within a couple of months the palpitations went away and now I have hardly any. It has taken me a year and countless numbers of tests that have ruled out other diagnoses to get my doctors to acknowledge that Yasmin may have caused my problems.

When I was admitted to the hospital after my cardiac arrest, my case history was taken at least 12 times by different people. When asked if I was on any medication I answered the same way each time - just birth control. Nobody bothered to ask me which birth control pill I was taking!

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I took this pill for two days (Thurs/Fri) last week and Saturday I had panic attacks all day long, uncontrolable internal shaking, jitters, and felt like I was losing my mind. I quit taking it and two - three days later I still feel like I am "coming down" off the side effects. I have a medical history of anxiety and depression which I already take medication for which this pill apparantly exacerbated. I'd rather go through a painful, crampy period with awful PMS than deal with what I felt like this past weekend. I threw this pack of pills in the trash Saturday and will NEVER take any birth control pill again. All my experiences with them have been emotionally wrecking.

I cannot believe that doctors prescribe this pil and advertise it as the best thing next to sliced cheese. I feel like I am loosing my mind and it my boobs want's to burst. I cannot stop eating and will kill you if you dare go against me. I am leaving this rubbish today!

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I started taking YAZ on Sunday for Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, I am 47. Today is on Thursday....I started crying during a staff meeting and haven't stop since...oh and I told my husband off, yelled at an obnoxious kid....well just about say anything that comes to my mind..I feel like a freak! Will this go away in time or just get worse... I am a normal hard working person...I can't go to work like this...I feel like I am 16. Help and send lots of tissues my way...or a beach towel might work...LOL!

Hi everyone, to start off I am a 17 y/o who has been taking Yaz since October 2009. I originally started taking it in hopes of it clearing my acne, and I am at least thankful it did that much for me. However as I write this post, I'm at the point of full out crying. Since I started Yaz I've become a whole different person. I was always a happy, cheery girl who loved going out. Now all I want to do is stay in and have nothing to do with anyone. I have zero patience and am incredibly irritable. I snap at my family incredibly easy. I get pissed off over the smallest, stupidest things. I've truly grown to "hate" people. I just want to be alone all the time. I see everything in shades of grey and have a hard time picturing a future for myself. I fucking hate taking this pill, but I'm even more scared of going off it. I don't want the symptoms to get worse, especially since finals are in a few weeks and having this stupid pill affect me can't happen. But I also can't continue living like this. I used to be 95 lbs. I am now at least 120 (frankly I'm too scared to check at this point). I know it's cause of the pill. I need to get off this. Tonight would have been the night I start a new pack... but I think I'm going to pass. I will come back here every day and update on how my life is. I just want to go back to the skinny, happy fun person I used to be.

Hi ladies! I am so glad to have found this site. I was on Yaz for 3 months... the second month in I began to feel anxious and had my first panic attack. The third month I felt even more anxious and had about 3 or 4 panic attacks. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HEPPEN TO ME BEFORE! I began searching the internet and found that it could be the Yaz that was causing it. I called my OB and he took me off of it immediately. He put me on a different pill but I was too scared to take it after that Yaz episode. The first few weeks off of Yaz were great but then my period came and my anxiety/ panic attacks became out of control. I called my OB and he told me to take the other BC pill immediately. A few days into the new pill I felt a little better but I couldnt stop the anxiety that seemed to linger just below the surface. I went to my family doctor who presribed Zoloft and Xanax. He said he doesnt know if it was the Yaz or not that made me anxious but he wouldnt rule it out either. We agreed to take the anti anxiety/depression pills for 6 months and try to wean me off of them after the Yaz has had a chance to get out of my system. I have been off of Yaz for almost 3 months now and it is easier than it was before. I think the medicine my family Dr gave me is helping too, even though everytime I get my period I get anxious. It isnt as bad as it was before. I think after this pack of BC pills I am just going to quit with hormones altogether. I was fine when I had my IUD in. But please ladies, don't be scared to ask for help!

thank you for your share,It realy helped me a lot.

Hi all,

I can't say how thankful I am to have found this blog. My doctor switched me to Yaz because it has a lower estrogen dose than the one I was on. The first month was relatively normal, although my moods were more extreme than normal in retrospect. But the first week of the second pack I started getting incredibly anxious and panicky. It was over nothing--I had a bad dream and then fixated on it; it was not rational behaviour at all and totally out of character for me. After two days in the grips of anxiety and thinking I was losing my mind, I remembered the pill switch and found this forum. I called my doctor and got the OK to stop taking the pill. The anxiety worsened for the first couple of days, but it has started to abate. It's now a week and a half later and I'm much calmer and getting back to my regular self. I still have flare ups of anxiety, and I'm assuming this will continue until it's completely out of my system. But I have definitely seen the light at the end of the tunnel. This has been a truly horrible experience, and I hope that this post will help someone else feel relief and know that she's not alone. Thanks again to everyone who posted.

I am on Yaz now and experiencing problems with 2 periods a month and 1 of them is so painful. I've been on it for 2 years. I'm not sure if it is the Yaz though. All birth control is putting chemicals in your body. These problems I'm having could be an ingredient in birht control. I'll be going off it to see if this helps though. Also I don't think a lawsuit is required. Everybody is suing everybody. When is it going to be enough. You're suppose to read the packet before taking stuff so you know what chemicals are going into your body.

I have been taking Yaz for 2 months now,as soon as i started i had my period for a little over a week,the next month i didnt have a period and i am due for my next period in 3 days but have been experiencing stomach cramps for the last three days.
i am now thinking i could possibly be one of those people who have gotten pregnant on Yaz.
My other problems with this pill have been:
5kg weight gain
breast tenderness and i have gone up 2 sizes
i had a discharge with a smell when i should have got my first period
headaches in the first week
insomnia
complete loss in sex drive
defensive with hubby(lucky he is extremely supportive)
and now i have a foul taste in my mouth(another pregnancy symptom)
am getting off it tonight and will post an update soon
I would NOT RECOMMEND this pill to anyone!

A relative recommended that I check out your site. I’m happy that I’m here.

I wish to express some appreciation to you just for bailing me out of such a issue. After searching through the search engines and meeting ideas which are not helpful, I thought my life was gone. Living devoid of the approaches to the issues you've solved as a result of the posting is a critical case, as well as those which may have badly damaged my career if I had not come across your website. Your primary expertise and kindness in maneuvering everything was excellent. I am not sure what I would've done if I had not come across such a step like this. I am able to at this point look ahead to my future. Thanks for your time so much for your reliable and sensible guide. I won't think twice to suggest your web page to anyone who needs and wants recommendations about this subject.

Hi Ladies.

I've been on Yaz for just over a year now. I am a super energetic, happy and creative person, but since taking Yaz, I've had a terrible temper, I get upset for nothing and then burst into tears, crying for hours! i thought I was going mad. Then I got very sick, lost about 10kg or (15 pounds) I'm nauseas all the time, throw up my food and spend hours with my head buried in the toilet. i don't run or gym anymore, by the end of the day I'm exhausted! I googled side effects today in an effort to get my life back... This is so sad, seeing so many women affected by this! And to think these doctors knew what they were doing! I've spent thousands on blood tests and doctors bills to find out what's wrong with me and they keep telling me on paper I'm one of the healthiest people alive. Now I know what's wrong with me! I'm never taking another Yaz again! Lets do more than just post our sad stories! Who's with me?

Thanks, ladies, for your comments. I was on Yaz for about 3 years before I stopped in the fall of 2009 because my husband and I wanted to start a family. I knew that I was temperamental and moody, but I just thought that was me as I got older and had more responsibilities. When I got off I realized how happy I was. I felt like old self again. I laughed more, I loved sex again, I was patient, I was kind- it was wonderful! I was very hesitant to start on Yaz again after having our daughter, but my Dr didn't seem too concerned and said that moodiness and loss of sex drive is normal. I've been back on Yaz for a month now. I hate it. I feel like a shell of myself. I am depressed. I actually pushed my husband yesterday because my temper got so elevated so quickly. I have never, ever, ever been a physical person. It scared the heck out of myself and my husband. Thank goodness he is a saint and understands that I am struggling with this. I woke up this morning and decided to stop taking it. I plan to call my Dr tomorrow morning and ask for an alternative. I am so glad to hear that I am NOT crazy- and that my instinct is correct. I’ve never felt so out of control. This pill has serious side effects. I'm sure it is wonderful for many women, but not for me. My husband, my baby, my happiness, and my health are all too precious to wait around and see what happens!

Hello there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it is truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

I can't believe I'm not the only one, please if someone wants to write me, I'm interested in placing a lawsuit against these people for all this.

I decided to go on yaz despite warnings from my friends and reading information online like this. I thought it could never happen to me. The first 3 months were wonderful although I noticed my sex drive was almost non-existent. I went back to my dr and told her to write me a prescription for the year. After that first 3 months, everything got worse. I no longer feel like I have pms the week before my period- I feel like I have it all month long. I gained 13 lbs in a month and I cannot get rid of it - I have a personal trainer and I work out 5 days a week and this weight will NOT come off. My mood swings are erratic, I feel like I can't focus, I'm ALWAYS tired, I get super paranoid and I had a panic attacks which I've NEVER had before. I'm a small person and usually always cold but right now I'm sitting here in 10 degree weather with short sleeves on because I'm starting to get hot flashes. I'm late to work in the morning because I seriously cannot get out of bed and I don't even feel awake for hours later. It's awful. I called my dr and she switched my prescription but I still have to finish this stupid pack of yaz which means 2 more weeks on this terrible pill. I cannot believe its still on the market. Good luck ladies.

I began taking YAZ in spring of 2007 a couple months before I got married. I knew that I didn't want to get pregnant right away after we got married so I asked my DR about YAZ... she didn't even question me about it. Didn't ask if I had any PMDD symptoms or do any blood tests. I was 18. On the pill, my face cleared up and most all my cramping/back pain I had experienced before was gone. My periods were all mostly regular and pretty light. HOWEVER, I started noticing some pretty irrating symptoms not too long after taking the pill. My husband said I was probably over reacting so I dismissed them at the time. I was on the pill until Sepetember 2008. The symptoms I had were:
•A decreased sex drive
•Headaches
•Vaginal dryness
•Vaginal yeast infections
•Weight gain (From 145 to 179)
•Depression
•Breast tenderness, breast pain
•Urinary tract infection

So I stopped taking the pill in September... the price alone made me realise I couldn't keep taking it. But the real annoyance out of this all is from February 2009 until February 2010, I did not have one period. OOhh I had ALL the PMS symptoms -- so badly at times! But not period. Which meant, Not Ovulation. So far this year I've only had half a dozne periods... My husband and I wanted to start a family and now due to the residual effects of YAZ, I cannot until my cycle starts regulating itself back to normal. Now I have unbelievably painful cramps, back aches, breast tenderness... bad mood swings. And they don't just come right before my period... they come three to four WEEKS before my period and last until after. I hate this drug! It's been such a long, hard road since getting off the pill... I wish I'd never started it in the first place!!

I can't remember how long I took yaz, but it was over a year. I had frequent UTIS(one every time I had intercourse), frequent urination, and weight gain(20 lbs)while on it. I think it was also the cause of my mood swings. It was as if I was addicted to being angry. The littlest things would set me off. Upon stopping I had a blood test, and my testosterone levels were through the roof( I have no idea what they were while on the pill, this was three months after I stopped.) I'm assuming the high testosterone might have contributed to the mood swings I went through. My potassium was also LOW after I stopped( a shocker since yaz spares potassium.) I also experienced some strange symptoms since I've been off. I've experienced: a weird feeling of pressure in my head(stopped), feeling off balance, near-fainting, swollen thyroid, heat intolerance, random pains throughout my body, hair loss, weight loss, nausea(stopped)a, weakness in legs, numbness in my scalp face and teeth, trouble breathing, severe panic attacks, and ringing ears. I never thought stopping a birth control pill could make me feel like I was going to die. I hate this pill.

Im 21 and i believe im on my second or third pack of yaz i visited my doctor last week to discuss the fact that i have been having very bad heart flutters/palipitaions! i asked her if it could be from my birth-controll which i started in october (since then iv been experiecening them)- she had said probably not and said i should continue on with yaz. so "DR's" advice i continued .. she had also said she will send me to a specialist to get a Heart monitor put on for 24 hours which is going to happen next week.
after googling all this im really wondering if it is this yaz ! and if so how long after did most peoples side affects stop? last night i came inches away from taking myself to hospital is got so bad ! instead of sitting for houres apone end i decided to call the health link lady asked questions i gave my answers .. she had said if i were getting any.. dizzy-ness, cheast pains, tinggling of legs to go in.. and she also recommeneded me going to a walk in clinc the following day !
basicaully once again it would be nice to have some answers from those who are expirencing the same .. cause this is driving me insane!! lol.. thanks a bunch !

i have been on Yaz for 4 months. i have had NO sex drive the entire time. blond moment (months) i only recently made the connection between the yaz pill, my lack of sexual desire and a very dry vagina.

i have since stopped using this pill...even considering changing my gynae.

not a nice feeling AT ALL! I wouldnt recommend yaz to anyone.

I am a 20 year old in Australia who was prescribed Yaz a year ago for acne treatment. Till recently, I have had no health problems and my acne has improved greatly. However, a couple of months ago, I was in the shower when i suddenly fainted. This was the first time ever that this has happened to me.

This month, I have had several days when i have felt very unwell and have not responded to panadol like I usually do. I experience headaches, light and heavy headedness which becomes worse when looking upwards or downwards, fatigue and general weakness, stange sensation/weakness in the left arm, sometimes in the feet, trouble breathing, feeling that my heart is sinking - perhaps my blood pressure/sugar levels are plummeting,and an elevated pulse while this is happening. Sometimes, this will last about ten minutes, other times I am continually feeling unwell for days end.

i believe the Yaz tablet is responsible for this.

I expect you in no way stop! This is certainly one of the top weblogs Ive ever read. You've got some crazy skill here, man. I just hope that you do not lose your style because you are surely on the list of greatest blog owners around. Make sure you keep writing simply because the internet requires someone like you getting the news out.

I'd like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this post. You have been enlightening for me. I've passed this on to a friend of mine.

I'm 28 years old and I stopped taking Yaz two days ago after a year and a half of using it. Although this is one of several things my doctors are trying at this point...I am praying that these symptoms may subside.
I've experienced dizziness, feeling faint, blurred and sensitive vision, and have begun to develop anxiety about being at work, at the store, in public, etc. because I feel sick all of the time. I've have no history of anxiety or dizziness before I began taking Yaz last October. I will update in a week or so!

I would like to thank you for the time you took in writing this post. You've enlightening for me. I have forwarded this to a friend of mine.

Hi,

I am on my 3rd pack of YAZ and am coming off Depo which i didnt have much luck with that so my doctor told me to try YAZ.

She gave me a free sample so i was like cool it came in this cool box and a cool tin to put the pills in.

I have been so depressed and sad i feel like constantly crying i am usually such a happy fun lovin person.

All i want to do lately is sleep i am constantly fighting with my family and boyfriend my cramps make it hard to move for a few days while i am on my period.

YAZ is way worse than depo
i have constant headaches i feel sick a the time it sort of feels like i have symptoms of pregnancy.
my sex life has decreased my period never comes when its suposed to.

i want to switch pills but what is out there that has no side effects.

NOT MUCH....

i would also like to note that i have just started my 3rd pack i never had thrush before i started YAZ and have had it 3 times in 2 and a bit months its ridiculous

i also get chest pains and i feel anxious and nervous all the time.

i appreciate that YAZ is different for everyone but for me it is poison.

Do yourself a favor and get off it.

Hi ladies, I'm from Australia & I too am a victim of Yaz. I was convinced to take this pill by my mother-in-law (she's horrible as a person who's made it clear that she doesn't want me to marry her son so I question her reason for convincing me to take Yaz; but that's a whole other story..... but because she's a Registered Nurse, I trusted her recommendation of Yaz).

Since then, it's been 6 months of hell. I already suffer from a disability causing debilatating chronic back pain, now to add to this list because of Yaz, I suffer chronic mirgaines, constant nausea, hot flushes that wake me up 10-15 times every night, aches & pains from my head down to my ankles, I've gained 7kg (thats roughly 15pounds), stomach pains, blurred vision, depression, loss of libido, chest pains, difficulty breathing, especially at night when I try to sleep, vertigo & throbbing pain behind the eyes when I wake up from 14hr sleeps (once i finally fall asleep I find it extremely difficult to wake up, like as if I've been drugged) & the list goes on....

Unfortunately, here in Australia, there haven't been any warnings to the public regarding the dangers of this drug, nothing on TV about the company being sued & DRs here even give out Yaz as free samples to women here to encourage them to make the change to Yaz....I didn't realize all the symptoms were Yaz related until I did a Google search because even my DRs ruled out the pill saying it must all be in my head...

I've changed to another pill called Logynon ED a week ago but I'm still suffering from the symptoms. I just wanted to know, for all you ladies who changed pills or stopped altogether, how it took before you were back to normal.....

I took yaz for almost 4yrs.I recently stopped taking it due to alot of forums i have read about Kidney issues and severe liver issues as well. I have a high tolerencey for meds as is so i have always have bad head aches to where adivl, ibprofeen, tylon none of that ever workd and ever perscription meds. Ever since i started taking yaz my so called head aches turned into a cross tension head ache and a migrain.also while i was on yaz i started having sleeping issues,my head aches were and still are 10xs worse then they have ever been to where they will not go away for days at a time.( i do have a history of MS in family)and i have had other severe symptons as well but none to put me in the ER.
I started taking losteria and now i have horrible cramps(never had them before) and get sick. I think it has something to do with stopping yaz mid may 2010 and starting the new meds in end of July 2010.
No matter what taking yaz messed me up,it made me a severly emotional wreck and i never realized how bad till a couple months ago. Every persons body is different and reacts differently to medicines but i have read and seen a lot of bad things about yaz my question is why is it still on the market after all of the bad reviews. Best wishes to all that have had much worst issues then myself.

Side effect: PREGNANT... taking it everyday.

My daughter is 21 years old, she began YAZ almost 3 years ago, we have been in the emergency room, she has had health problems non stop since taking this, she has mood swings, a heart murmer developed, possible blood clot in right leg, non stop bleeding, severe headaches, fatigue, drained, shakey, pale and weak, now developed a thyroid condition, never had any health issues before taking this, she just got off on Sept 19 and is still having issues, can't drive, can't work, very dizzy, this has been a nightmare for her!

Hi,

My name is Alyssa and I'm 25 years old. I had been on Yaz for about 2.5 years until last week. About 1.5 years into taking Yaz I noticed that I was becoming more sensitive about things than I usually am. I also got sick several times last year including getting swine flu and pinkeye (I wear contacts and the eye pressure was tremendously painful). When 2010 came around there were several life events that did add to my stress, but nothing different than what I've already seen. I also (at the request of my physician who never put two and two together about Yaz/multivitamin use) dropped taking a centrum vitamin a day and started taking only calcium and flax seed oil... this turned out to be a big mistake. Around April I started to have anxiety and subsequently several panic attacks and depression as a result of the anxiety, especially around the time of my period. I had to start seeing a therapist (who I currently see now) and my physician (at the therapists request) gave me 0.25 mg of Xanex for when I need it (I've only used it 3 times). It didn't dawn on me that Yaz might be the problem until I accidentally found several websites including this one about the relation between Yaz/Hormone Levels/Anxiety/Depression.

I finished my last pack of Yaz last week and had my normal period. I went to my gynocologist on Saturday and thank God she was extremely helpful. She didn't dismiss the idea that the Yaz could be causing these effects and switched me to Levora (a second generation pill - read more here: http://action.citizen.org/content.jsp?content_KEY=2316&t=notmypill.dwt ) and told me to start taking centrum again with it. She also did full bloodwork - I'm waiting on the results to see if I have any vitamin deficiencies. She wants me on the new pill for at least 6-9 months as the Yaz needs to get out of my system and the Levora needs to fully kick in.

I started Levora and centrum on Sunday and I have to say I am feeling slightly better already and it's only Wednesday. I don't want to jump the gun because Yaz will remain in my system for a few months, but I'm certainly hopeful that I'm coming around.

Yaz was the first and only birth control that I've ever been on. My original gynocologist (I do not go to the same one anymore) should've been more careful in prescribing this to me since I never had any symptoms of PMS/PMDD to begin with and as a result of taking this medication, it might of caused me to experience the symptoms that Yaz is made to treat. I am also taking responsibility because I did not do enough research in choosing the right birth control pill for me in the beginning. Please be cautious in choosing a pill if you are going on/switching birth control, see this: http://contraception.about.com/od/thepill/l/bl_choosingapill.htm . Before I saw my doctor on Saturday I became very proactive and read this site and others. I wanted to be prepared for my doctor's visit and by being prepared and better educated, my gynocologist and I were able to come up with a plan that we both agreed on.

I wish everyone well and I hope for speedy recoveries for all of you. It's very comforting to know that I'm not alone and that everyone on this forum is so supportive. I will update my condition closer to the new year. God bless!

My wife started taking YAZ over a year ago. Long story short. she's depressed, no sex drive, needed therapy, and has hot flashed at night.

WOW.. this is in regards to my 16 year old.. she had been taking birth control for extreme cramps, moods etc. Didn't seem to help - so her dr put her on yaz July of this year. She has only been on yaz now for less than two months. Her first month - she started later than normal, bled for nearly 2 weeks. On her second round, she has been beyond fatique, to the point of if she is not in school, she is asleep, severe stomach pains, loss of appetite, weight gain, constant headache, she feels no one will believe her and that she is crazy, she sweats to the extreme when others aren't. She is constantly thirsty, she is "casper"pale white... Well, I took her to her dr yesterday - we discussed the thoughts of possible anemia, mono (is going around the band), and decided to run extensive blood work. Just found out her T3 is elevated and they are now running her T4 levels, which we probably won't know anything until Tuesday now with the holiday. I really thought Yaz would be a good choice for her with her PMDD, but now I am really wondering if we were wrong. The nurse mentioned putting her on a hyperthyroid med and I was like, I want to try different birth control first and re evaluate... nurse didn't seem to open to that.. so, tuesday, I think I am going to have a talk with her dr.. face/face and voice my findings, beliefs etc... she is not a sexual active teen - this I know for a fact, she was merely taking it to control PMDD/cramps etc.... anyone else out there have any words of wisdom .. please email me at kimberlysnyder87@yahoo.com put in subject line yaz...
thank all of you so much for sharing your stories.

OMG! I can't believe I didn't realize what was going on with me sooner! I was on YAZ for two years. I am 29 years old, and it has been two months now since I have been off of it. I am so glad that I talked with my friend and read these blogs. I truly thought I was going crazy. I experienced severe mood swings and extreme sadness or depression. I was so mean to my boyfriend of three years. He was hesitant to marry me because he thought he was with two different people and didn't know which girl he was going to get on a daily basis. I would cry uncontrollably over nothing. My boyfriend could never do anything right. I really put him through a lot. He would say that I had a "gloom and doom" outlook on life, which was not like me at all. I also had terrible abdominal pain. I used to be so happy and laughed all the time. I was not myself for the past two years! My mom used to make comments about how I lost my sense of humor and took everything so seriously.I never thought to attribute any of this to YAZ because I was on it to control my terrible cramps and heavy flow. I also experienced fatigue and weight gain. I did P90X and hardly loss any weight!!! It was so discouraging, which only added to my depression and feeling of low self-esteem. I am a teacher, and even started to hate teaching, which I have always wanted to be! I feel a lot better now that I am off of it. It is not worth the side effects just to get rid of some pain and heavy bleeding. I am so ashamed that I never attributed any of the craziness to YAZ. I went to counseling and everything. I thought something was wrong with me. I was about to ask a doctor to put me on some medication for the anxiety and depression. I was at my wits end. I am thankful to God, my friend, and this website for opening my eyes to the horrible effects of YAZ. I just hope I can go back to normal and be myself again.

I'm on day 3 of taking Yaz which my OBGYN prescribed because I began having unregulated periods with lots of spotting. She said it was stress affecting my hormone levels. I took two pill Tuesday night (as she directed) and one pill Wednesday morning. Wednesday night around 9pm my left eye began twitching constantly. I went to bed and woke up with it twitching. All day today (Thursday) its been twitching none stop and has stressed out the other muscles in my check and forehead.
I was talking to a friend who told me to check out the lawsuits because of severe side effects. Wow! I've been anti-BC for years, thinking that altering hormones cannot do a perfectly healthy body good. Now, I'm certain. I'm going to bed and if I wake up and my eye is still twitching tomorrow morning, no more Yaz for me. I'd rather have severe periods every two weeks than constant muscle spasms and risk any chance of blot clots or stroke.
PS - My friend is suggesting the Trump Network supplements. I've never heard of them but she tells me they're supplements customized to your body's needs. See, there ARE alternatives to synthetic drugs!

If anyone is interested here is a petition to
"Tell the FDA you only want the safest birth control options on the market."

http://action.citizen.org/content.jsp?content_KEY=2316&t=notmypill.dwt

I was prescribed yaz by my doctor about 3 months ago, and everything felt fine the first month, but then I got sick for a full couple days after about a month and a half or so. I got so tired after just 12 hours, I rarely have ever gotten headaches, but right after starting, I had a headache about everyday.. I woke up one day and started getting really hot and sweaty, even though I felt cold I got the shivers; earache, my middle and upper back ached inside, and I had felt strong weaknesses in my ankles, legs, and arms for a couple weeks prior to those couple days and it had gotten a lot worse when I felt sick. I took a nap for a little while, and when my boyfriend came home and woke me up to see how I was feeling, I woke up so confused...on where he had just been to, and the past few weeks were hazy at first? I went to my doctor and talked to her about the weaknesses, thinking I was just not getting a good night's rest with the other symptoms, and she said low blood sugar because of the pill. I thought, "Hmm, at 19???" So, well, I started eating salads and trying to snack throughout the day for a week or so, but I can't keep on a strict diet. Things seemed better in those two weeks or less. But then, two weeks after getting sick for those two days, I got sick again! This time was a lot worse and lasted about 3+ days, and I'm still recovering from it. My body temperature felt cold again, but my skin felt really hot, my heart rate was considerably faster, I had the same weaknesses in my ankles, feet, legs, and arms and hands, but this time with tingling in all places. I didn't have normal lung capacity, and got a swollen tonsil with white spots, my upper and middle back still feel really stiff, and had sharp, constant chest pains (on a scale of 1-10, it felt like a 9--back pains and chest pains). Had several heart pains, and my lungs hurt a few times as well. My boyfriend was so worried, because I couldn't stand or do any kind of activity or sit down without hurting so bad with constant chest and back pains, and weaknesses, in a matter of seconds. It hurt so bad I would end up crying because of the pain often. I finally had enough and just stopped continuing taking them, and went to my doctor. I was mad that she had prescribed me such a nightmare pill! I've been off of it for just a few days, and I get really tired easily, isolated thoughts sometimes (had no hormonal problems before), and my back is still really stiff feeling inside, still with frequent chest and heart pains. I don't know WHY it is ever being prescribed to anyone!!!!!

I am 20 years old and was on yaz from February 2009 till July 2010. I had week long awful periods that interfered with my life so my gyn decided to put me on yaz. For the first few months yaz was great. My periods were shorter, lighter, less painful and my moods didn't seem so bad. My weight was ok, my complexion never looked better and my breasts were bigger. The only negative were the headaches.

After a while I became depressed: I lost interest and focus in many things, I became distant from people, especially those closest to me. I started to have awful mood swings and outbursts, I was extremely emotional and irrational. I was crying a lot. Towards the end of my use of yaz I started to feel angry a lot, somtimes I wasn't even sure why. Other side effects I had while on yaz:
-severe dry eyes (flax seed oil helps this)
-extreme thirst, even when I had been drinking water all day long
-dry scalp
-popping ears
-appetite change
-night sweats
This all happened gradually and I didn't feel bad every day. It never occured to me that this was all due to yaz, I thought it was just me.

In July I decided to finish the pack and go off of yaz for good. I felt like I had no need to be on it anymore and it wasn't worth paying so much for it every month. Two days after finishing the pack I had a really bad panick attack. I had several more after that and have really bad anxiety. I became really depressed, nothing like before. I had dark thoughts, low moods, felt worthless, hopeless, didn't see the point in anything. I had suicidal thoughts, much of the same things many of you ladies have described in your posts. I didn't sleep and ate very little for the first week of all this. And again, I thought it was just me, I thought I was losing it conmpletely. As a little girl I had panick attacks and anxiety and just grew out of it, so it didn't seem that far off. I was so scared of every minute of every day, I counldn't be alone. I felt like I was never going to feel or be the same againg, I lost the zest for life. I just want my old self back. In the midst of all this my mom reminded me that I had just gone off of BC. I had stopped taking yaz once or twice before and had bad mood swings but nohting like this but to humor her I looked up the side effects of stopping yaz and found several websites, including this one, listing my symptoms.

I can not believe it took me so long to realize it was all from yaz. I'm so mad at myself for not researching the pill before going on it. Its been a relief to know that I have not lost it and that it's all this awful pill. I'm so grateful to the woman who started this site and grateful to all the ladies who have shared their stories on all these forums. Knowing i'm not alone in going through this has helped me a great deal. Its been almost two weeks since I've stopped yaz for good. My panick attacks have stopped, I still have anxiety although its not as bad. My heart tends to beat really fast and I have heart palpitations. I have slight pain and tightness in my chest but I believe that's from the anxiety. My moods and thoughts are getting better but they still tend to be on the low side. I drink jasmine tea every day to help calm me down. I also drink a tea that contains motherwort and chaste tree berry, herbs good for balancing hormones. Both teas seem to be helping me a lot. I drink a lot of water everyday and stay away from processed food. I take vitamins B, C and E everyday along with a fish oil capsule. I'm also looking into progesterone therapy and yoga. I recommend books The Kind Diet, The Garden of Fertility and Taking Charge of Your Fertility to help heal your body from yaz natural healthy ways.

It'll be a while before my body is completely healed from yaz but I'm going to do all I can to get better. I'm so appreciative of everyone who has shared their story, I've gone from someone who was shaking, full of fear and dark thoughts to someone who sees a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope that this site is able to stay up because it's been a huge help.

Well we now can answer our question of: Has anyone developed gall bladder issues after coming off of YAZ?

My daughter (17 yrs old) has NOW been diagnosed with gall bladder disease from this awful bc pill! She will have her gall bladder removed next week.

As if life-threatening pulmonary eboli weren't enough for her to suffer through at Christmas(2009)as a result of this bc pill....she was even "luckier" to receive this second PUNCH! Let's hope we are at the end of the side effects!

We continue to strive to get healthy again...and fight strongly against this drug!

The best we can do is continue to communicate to folks outside of this forum of the complications of this medication.

Communications can be a very strong tool against this med! Please continue to share your story broadly!

I've been on Yaz since August of 2009 and at first it did exactly what my dr said may happen... I had my period for literally 3 weeks and then spotting for 2 months after. I new that could happen so I just went with it. I always had problems with headaches, but last fall I started having migraines and cluster headaches that were so bad that I either threw up or had to lay in a dark room and was out of commision for the rest of the day and still light sensitive the next day. I also always had problems with my circulation due to a car accident years prior, and at times could not seem to warm up or cool down, but since last fall I literally feel on occasions like I am going to burst into flames. I have bi polar disorder and its never been fun, but my paranoia is to the height it was back prior to being medicated, like when I was a teenager. I loved the fact that I got my period for a day but every time I get my period now the pain in systematically getting worse to the point I feel like I am having contractions, and being that I only have it for one day the remaining days that week I feel this immense pressure in my lower body and its incredibly painful. it feels almost as if the health problems I had prior to Yaz have only been magnified since being on it. The random headaches I used to get have become almost like clockwork, the hot flashes are so intense that my boyfriend sometimes cant sleep with me because I practically ignite the whole bed. I didnt gain weight, no problem with my sex drive, no skin problems, but I just dont feel right... I've been staying on it because its the only pill I havent gained weight on, but I dont know if it is worth it.

QUESTION: Have any of you experienced gall bladder issues AFTER being off of YAZ?

My daughter has been off YAZ for 7 months, and just within the last 2 weeks she has been complaining about sharp pain under right side of rib cage and having diarrhea. Interestingly enough, thoughout the 9 months on YAZ, she always complained about a pain on her right side that radiated from front to back. Thinking this could be gall bladder????

I have a cousin that been on Yaz for month and half, she is now in the hospital. She has had 4 strokes and many seizers.
She is only 28 yrs old , wife and a mother of 2 small children. She will never be the same. This drug has ruin her life.

I've been taking yaz for 8 days now n I hate it. I'm psycho!!! I was taking ortho lo n it was so much better. I'm suffering from irregular period can someone please tell me what is best for me to take? Obviously yaz suckssss omg thanks for this website I thought I was the only
insane person out there. So my period comes 2 tines a month but let me tell u it's may better then yaz!!! I'm on my 8th day n still bleeding it looks like spotting though but in cramping n hate my life. Let's not mention people around me i hate everyone. I yell at everyone don't want to see no one n lay in my bed n think what a loser I am. Please can some help my side is killing me my leg cramps so baddddd. Should I stop taking yaz if so please recommend another pill to take. Ps it's 730
am
n I still can't sleep!!!!

I started taking Yasmin at 15, because I suffered from such extreme cramps and very heavy bleeding with every period. I switched to Yaz as soon as it came out and was excited at the prospect of shorter periods, well what I got was 6 years of extreme anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, no sex drive, loss of confidence, weight gain, inability to run and be as active as I used to, and a follow up prescription to both Zoloft and Vallium. Now I have been on no birth control for 3 months and am having symptoms of endometriosis, but I am once again happy and want to have sex with my husband. It was mortifying and depressing having had no sex drive on my wedding night. I cannot see anyone being able to live a normal life on YAZ.

You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more specifically, your blog in general. Very high quality material

i have been on yaz since june. when i started feeling the side effects, that moment i started to get even more depressed. the side effects that i am experiencing when taking this bc pill for a long time are: muscle pain, headaches, drowsiness, sore throat. i really hate feeling these side effects. how long will they last?

Angst Against Yaz:

I have been off Yaz for 1 year after taking it for 6 months. Since then I have monitored the comments on this website regularly, just to find out if other people had felt like they had 'lost their mind'. To answer your question, I now feel like I am back to normal but there was a period for about 6 months after stopping Yaz I did feel the anxiety & paranoia, and "ANTs" (Automatic Repetitive Thoughts), much like OCD. Most of these thoughts were related back to actions and events which occurred in my life while taking Yaz, my behavior I now know was severely altered while taking the drug. Prior to taking Yaz I had taken Ortho Cyclen for 10 years and never experienced such behavioral change.

I was paranoid about what those close to me might have thought of me, if I had caused permanent damage to my relationships, and struggled to remember months of events that had gone by. I look at pictures of events where I am present but have very fuzzy recollection of them, like a blur. I also experienced physical side effects: weight loss, and I was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain which revealed both ovarian & liver cysts which I had never had. If you have not had many physical side effects then this is another blessing you can count.

My advice to you is to take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for recognizing that this was not the drug for you, and charting a new course. Your rational mind tells you that people around you don't know what you're thinking, and probably aren't judging you or talking about you behind your back. But for whatever reason you can't put the thoughts out of your mind, I know! Whenever you feel those panicky feelings come on, try to focus on looking forward and not worry about what has happened. Take a break from the rumor mill, disengage & enjoy some downtime doing the simple things you enjoy doing, and the good things in your life. Embrace those close to you. Put some time between you & 'the drug' and let your body & mind heal. (If you do the Facebook thing give that a rest, too!) This worked well for me but it wasn't easy. Try to remember the worst is over.

For everyone else - you know yourself better than your doctor does. If something doesn't feel right, take charge and change course.

I took Yaz for a week and a half. I was taken away in an ambulance after waking up to shortness of breath, heart flip flopping in my chest, and my entire left side going "to sleep". Things like stroke, blood clot, thyroid problems, heart attack were all thrown around. I am now on a beta blocker. I quit taking Yaz three days ago. I am still experiencing chest tightness and a feeling of my heart wanting to race, but it doesn't because of the beta blocker. My blood pressure is still up. I am very scared and hope this will resolve.

Wow where to start... I was 28 when my life crashed. I was outgoing, loved to be social and dance and sing and run and just be active and a part of life. I used to go to the gym 6 days a week and I had a killer body. I was sooo independant, to the point where I went through a truck driving school to get my CDL (a license to drive a semi/ 18 wheeler). And now that's all gone!!! I was only on YAZ for 3 months mind you... About a month after my fiance' and I started dating I got rear ended, buuuuut I drive a lifted truck and the lady who hit me from behind was driving a small car so nothing was damaged, so I thought. A few days after I started noticing some pain in my lower back and left leg and I started getting headaches but they only lasted for short periods of time during a 1 week time span. Then I noticed that my left leg started to feel tight and it was getting glossy looking. I didn't think anything of it except that it may have been a delayed onset from the lady rearending me. WRONG boy was I dead wrong, after about a month in total I had lost my job because I was in so much pain that I couldn't get out of bed. My boyfriend and I both said to each other that this seemed out of the ordinary for me to have these symptoms. He went online to look them up and feared that I had a DVT, blood clot in my left leg. I then started feeling sick, flu sick. I was vomitting, constant headache, fever, chills, it felt like I my body was giving up. I had had strept throat in high school a few times and because I was a singer it was out of the ordinary so I knew the symptoms and at home remedies to stop it in it's tracks before it got to the point that I needed antibiotics. Mind you I'm not a pill taking kind of person. That night we went to bed and I got up to use the restroom and came back to the bed and sat on the edge of the bed and I started to feel like 2 line backers were giving me a bear hug. I couldn't breathe and started feeling very dizzy. My fiance' rushed me to the hospital, when I was finally admitted they did a number of tests and my results were, DVT's in my left leg, PE in my right lung 75% capacity, full blown strept throat, and pneumonia!!! I was pretty out of it because I was so sick and I coudln't believe it and neither could my fiance' when the doctors asked what had happened leading up to that point we told them. They said that such a minor run in from the accident wouldn't have casue all of this. Then they asked if I was on any kind of medication and I said Yes that I was ONLY taking YAZ. They immediatley administered an I.V. with antibiotics rushed me to a room and started pumping me full of medications, and the worse part of all of it, I was put on a blood thinner. I was given Lovanox which if you don't know what it is, it's a liquid blood thinner and it's administered into your stomach. I was on so many medications I can't even remember them all. I just remember that after getting out of the hospital after being there for 4 days, they sent me home with the Lovanox to administer myself, and cumadin (pill form of the blood thinner) and antibiotics, I was on crutches because I had lost the use of my left leg temporarily because of the blood clots. And I had to go in to have my blood drawn every other day, it was so bad I looked like a drug addict who shot up in my arms because I had to have my blood drawn that often.

After being told that I couldn't work for 4 months until I got well enough to go back to work I had to battle with trying to get back to a somewhat normal life and schedule. There were times where I wouldn't be able to sleep for days and then vice versa where I didn't want to wake up and go to work let alone get out of bed. I had gained nearly 50 lbs after being taken off of the YAZ. During the time I was off of work taking the blood thinner I was still throwing up and couldn't eat because I didn't have an appetite and my hair and nails and skin were soooo dry that my hair would fall out, I had hair past my waist and I am half Japanese so I have Asian hair and my hair was my best feature and it was so dried out I had to cut my hair into a bob and I was depressed for days at a time and I was never a violent or angry person. I became this mean, vicious nasty foul mouthed girl and I started to hate myself. I wanted to stop living because I felt so depressed and out of touch with everything and everyone.

In the summer of 2009 I developed a fibroid tumor in my uterus that grew to the size of a baseball and it needed to be removed. I had had one that was very small before being prescribed the YAZ and mind you I had been on orthotricyclene for years and NEVER had a problem. I told my new doctor that had prescribed the YAZ to me that I wanted to go back on the ortho but she insisted I try this new wonderful pill called YAZ. She told me that there were little to NO SIDE EFFECTS and she told me that the YAZ would take the fibroid away. What a joke and a life destroyer. My fiance' and I want to have kids but don't know if it is even possible now and I randomly have anxiety attacks and I often don't want to be around anyone other than my fiance' and best friend at times. I usually stay to myself and social events are hard for me now too. I am somewhat a shy person by nature but broke out of it years ago in college but it's down right practically painful to interact with people that aren't close to me and I can't even stand to go to the grocery store by myself sometimes. I have a job though and thankfully I have the most understanding fiance', he was there when my life crashed but there are times when I don't want to get out of bed, I want to stay in bed all day and do nothing. And there are times where I just want to be left completely alone and untouched. I feel horrible but lucky at the same time because he was there from the beginning and because I am still alive today. I am still coping with day to day life and it is very hard for me to speak of what is going on with me. I'm ashamed to tell anyone how I feel in fear of being made fun of or being called crazy even though I know I'm not.

The best way to get through what is happening to me that I have found is to be vocal to those who are closest to you and let them know what's going on mentally and physically with you. I take it one day at a time and with the love and support of friends and family I'll get better.

I hope this helps some women cope and get past what has happened to them.

So I am taking YAZ and started to look up several articles and websites about side effects. I am an avid runner and all of a sudden lately I have been suffering from shortness of breath. I have no energy and I am really feeling out of it. I am dizzy, straining to see, headaches, nausea, increased appetite, increased acne (which I never have), and feelings like I am going to pass out. I too, like many of you, went to my doctor, only to be told that my symptoms are because I need to adjust to the meds. This feels far worse than that and like I am dying sometimes.The shortness of breath is most concerning to me. I am so happy to see and hear that I am not alone with my symptoms.

I began taking YAZ about 5 months ago mainly because of acne that I had started experiencing months prior. I've always had a very heavy cycle and bad cramping, moodiness, etc. but the acne is the one thing that I couldn't deal with. I am 35 and didn't have any major problems with acne growing up. I'm not sure what triggered it. I had a child in 2004 and also had the Mirina IUD after that for about 4 months before having it removed, but my acne didn't start up for another year after that. My main concern is that I really want to be off of YAZ due to the depression, extreme moodiness, and cost, but I'm so worried that my acne will come back. It's gotten a little better since YAZ, but nothing major. Has anyone been off for a while that can give me an idea what to expect? I would say my acne is somewhat mild compared to what some go through.

I took YAZ for less than three months almost two years ago and I am still fighting to get my body back to normal. It is unbelievable what this pill can do to you. No, it doesn't do it to everyone that takes it (my sister included), but how do you continue to allow a drug to be prescribed that can so profoundly affect as many as it has. I'm a healthcare worker and I fear that we are going to see many young womens' lives changed forever b/c of this drug. I think it is a shame that people get on this website and belittle those who have been affected. I took bcps for over 15 years and never had a problem. When I was done nrsg my infant and it was time to go back on bcps, YAZ was recommended to me...so I tried it. If I could have a do-over in life, I would go back to that visit and never put this in my body. I cannot tolerate any synthetic hormone now. I'm still working on trying to balance out all the systems that were affected by this drug. I agree with the person that said that this drug will be illegal in ten years. Unfortunately, many lives will be changed before that happens. Maybe I would be skeptical, too, about how much of an impact this could have on your life if I hadn't experienced it myself. I'm sorry for anyone who goes through this and think that those who haven't should count themselves lucky and look into what they might want as an alternate bcp when this is pulled from the market.

Hi, I was on Yaz prior to having my daughter, and felt great. I had a huge sex drive and no side effects at all. After my daughter was born I went back on Yaz, and I am having many mood swings. I am very angry and sad and crying alot. I nit pick at everything my husband does. I also have absolutely no sex drive. At first I thought it is from working full time night shifts and not sleeping at all, but now I am thinking maybe it could be the pill.

The very sad part of this medication is that many taking it "rationalize" their symptoms. From stress to chest pains. I've read that in many of your posts. In fact that is what we did the day our daughter was experiencing sever dizziness, chest pains, shortness of breath, sweating, and just plain paleness!

Girls follow your instincts with this medication. Be cautious of drs. telling you to wait until it regulates in your body.

Our daughter's end result was bilateral PE's which almost resulted in death. She was probably about 6 hrs away from that.....

This is a serious matter and medication with many implications!

She is now off the medication 6 months, and she is still experiencing many issues (anxiety, depression, SEVER mood swings, etc.). No drs. know what to do to help her...

A journey to go yet....to a full recovery, but a journey we will take over what could have happened!

Hi Guys! I am so glad that I found this website. It makes me feel that may be I am not losing my mind. I was/am very concerned that I am developing a mental illness out of nowhere. I was taking YAZ for about 5 months. Out of nowhere I am dealing with severe paranoia and depression. I am unable to feel happiness even though I know certain things should make me happy. I stopped taking YAZ about 3 weeks ago and have seen some improvement. Two questions:
1. For others who dealt with paranoia what thoughts entered your mind? I am currently OCD like thoughts about what others will think of EVERY decision I make. I have also lose all self-esteem. Did anyone else feel this?

2. For people who have stopped how long did it take before you felt normal?

Took it for only a week and 1/2. Been off of it now for about a week. Awful stuff. I was so tired and depressed and had incredibly bad leg muscle cramps. I hated it.

I took Yaz religiously and as prescribed and now am pregnant. It also made my migrianes a LOT worse.

I have had no problems yet but i dont know if i should keep taking it

This is a good forum. I have a friend that would always comment about the effects of taking Yaz/Yasmin. My plan was to always get off of it - which now, I have been off for a little over a month. I had been on Yaz for about 3 years, and before that, Yasmin for about 2.

While "coming down" off of Yaz, I have DEFINITELY noted changes or side effects if you will. I will first say that I am a healthy 29 year old. I excercise, eat healthy, don't smoke, etc. I did not gain any weight and had no real issues while on, but coming off - I have gained about 5 lbs. of water weight in the past month! I have been experiencing some dizziness here and there and just feel "off" - very emotional... I expected some of this, but the dizziness does worry me.

I am going to be working with an acupuncturist to help with these issues but I did want to just put this out there as well. Glad that I am not alone !

I began taking Yaz in April of 2008 so had taken it for about 2 years (I just stopped a week and a half ago and feel better already!) The first couple of months I noticed some mood changes/irritability as well as fatigue and associated shortness of breath. I stuck with this pill in hopes that these side affects would abate in time as my body adjusted. My skin looked fantastic and my breasts increased in size, both of which I liked. My periods were also very light and less painful, the main reason for taking this drug as well as to prevent any cysts from forming and sticking around. The moodiness seemed to even out after the first month, however, once every 6 to 8 weeks or so I would become extremely quick to anger and cry and become severely depressed over seemingly nothing (I hoped this would not occur on my vacation to florida and it did, and ruined it, it was just about time for it to happen). I would get weepy at minor things both happy and sad the whole time I took it. The fatigue came and went and I blamed it on another pill I was taking. Over the past 6 months or so I have had a more constant problem with the fatigue along with muscle weakness, extreme difficulty getting out of bed despite 9 hours of sleep, none of which I had a problem with before. The emotional garbage had gotten more often and constant..crying and weepy and angry to boot. Interestingly, my boobs shrunk also. I have suffered depression since I was a child (I am in my 30's) so know how I am all too well when "normally" depressed. This was not normal. Other side effects I had that have gotten better since stopping: dry eyes and blurry vision, memory loss, brain fog (loss in ability to concentrate or think), irritable bladder, dizziness, heart pounding. I can only hope the the IBS I was diagnosed with about 6 mos ago will go away as well. I have read elsewhere of many women having this diagnosed while taking this pill. Overall, the side effects of this pill became far too horrible to justify the continued use. I would rather have acne and painful periods than feel horribly emotional, tired, weak and stupid with poor vision!

Jan- 6th months ago I would have agreed with you. But it is ignorant to think that just because you have not experienced these symptoms that they do not exist.
I am 20 years old and have been on yaz for a year and a half. A few of my friends were on it last year and they all went off of it because they complained about how it messed with their emotions. I thought I was stronger than them because I never experienced these effects. I had gained about 10 pounds but I felt mentally stable. However, in the past few months I have begun to feel like I am going crazy. I get so irritable about the littlest things and am continually in a sad, depressed state. If I could, I would go on saying that I have not experienced any of these symptoms and think that everyone is imagining this, but I cannot do this any longer. I have also experienced difficulty loosing weight, chest pains, fatigue etc. The weirdest part is that my gynecologist suggested that I stay on Yaz even when my mom asked her about its safety. Why don’t doctors see anything wrong with prescribing Yaz? In ten years, this pill will be illegal. I can’t believe how much it has disrupted my life in the past few months and I am getting off of it.

This message is in reference to the post by Jane. I'm very happy that you have had such good results with YAZ. That's great for you. But, I don't think that you should belittle those individuals that haven't been so fortunate. My daughter did not have such good luck. I watched her go from a happy, vibrant young woman to a totally different person as soon as she started on YAZ. Unfortunately, we didn't know that her birth control pill could have caused her to have such severe anxiety and panic attacks, or to cause her to not want to go out even to get her mail. She also had severe insomnia so that she couldn't sleep more than a few hours at a time. She was nervous all the time and didn't want to be around people. These symptoms were real, and were not from her lack of maturity or her unwillingness to try to work out her problems. She ended up in the emergency room 3 times for what she thought was a heart attack and turned out to be severe anxiety attacks. She had never been like this before. She had been a strong young woman who had a great job as a mortgate underwriter in a large company. She had been a happy person who was always ready to have a good time with family and friends. She ended up losing her job because she couldn't handle going to work. No antidepressant medications worked for her for any length of time, and the insomnia was never cured. She was also in the hospital for kidney failure for 5 days before they finally got that under control. These are just a few of the symptoms she had. They weren't a figment of her imagination or mine. They weren't from someone just trying to get attention or in a fit of hysteria. They occurred over a period of almost 2 years. No doctor ever told her that maybe she go off YAZ. It was never even hinted at. It wasn't until I found this forum that I suggested that she change her birth control to see if that was the problem. So, please don't judge people until you've walked in their shoes. You have no idea what others are going through until you've been there yourself

thankyou lots, I have to announce that your blog is fantastic!

UNBELIEVABLE! My first couple of weeks taking Yaz, I imagined all kinds of symptoms I'd heard about from these websites and the printed warnings - was it going to kill me? Quite the contrary. I have been on Yaz for three years and it has been a great relief from cramps to severe mood swings and slightly irregular cycles. GIRLS!!! A majority of the symptoms I'm reading on these websites deal with almost childish hysteria. Get hold of yourselves - Yaz cannot ruin marriages and careers and make you want to curl up and die. Take Yaz or don't take Yaz, but do NOT blame it for your maturity/immaturity levels, unwillingness to work together with spouses and to get out of a possibly tedious life routine and find something to enjoy out there. Your comments may be keeping several people from getting the product that has helped MANY of my peers and I.

To Tasha...
You should be in the YAZ is great forum, this one is for those who had severe life changing complications while on YAZ. And for you to downplay that is just ignorant. No birth control pill should cause any of the side effects I experienced. The only ones listed on the YAZ side effect list that comes with the pill are those like blood clots, stroke ect... that are on all birth control pills. Any others give all of us a reason to SUE. Panic attacks where I pass out suddenly while on a birth control pill. CRAZY!!! Why did you stop YAZ if its so great? Take it for a few years and see what happens. To all those that have had problems, feel empowered that you have the right to sue. No BC should make you feel like this.

I am 32 y.o. and was on Yaz for about a year. I stopped taking it in October 2009. I was put on Yaz to help stop my migraines and PMDD. I had all the symptoms during and after taking Yaz: heavy bleeding, migraines, moodiness, frequent crying, heart racing, anxiousness, loss of sleep, etc. The problem that I'm facing now is irregular periods. After stopping Yaz in October I started my period right away (2 days after) and had regular cycles in Nov. & Dec. In January my period was one wk late. However, since my period has either been late or non-existent. In Feb. I had no period at all. So, when I finally had my period in March it was 6 wks between my periods. I went to my doctor worried cause I was also experiencing severe abdominal cramping. BTW, I had had 2 negative pregnancy tests prior to going to the doctor. She did a urine & blood pregnancy test, an entire blood work lab, and sent me to the hospital to have an ultrasound. All of which came out to be normal. And yet, here it is April 21st and again no period (7 wks now). I do not have the cramping or any signs of PMS like I would normally. Has anyone experienced the same issue? Any suggestions, other than go back to the doctor? I really do not want to go back on any type of b.c. pill. I have been on some form of b.c. pill since I was 13 y.o due to severe menstrual cycles and migraines and have finally been pill free since Oct. 2009.

Yes, the risks of Yasmin are no different from the risks of other oral contraceptive or even hormone therapy. Yasmin is a very widely prescribed pill, therefore your intances of ill side effects will be higher because more people are taking it. I was on Yasmin for some time a few years back...it's been the most tolerable pill for me. In fact, I had all other symptoms described here while taking Ortho-Low. Wonder if I can sue them? While on Yaz, I had no weight gain, no depression, no PMS cramping...

As a long time suffer myself, I can express how grateful I was for this wonderful resource. truly a gift from above.

I started YAZ in April '09 (one year from now) and I am still experiencing some of the symptoms I had. I was on Yaz (my first BC for endometriosis) for 2 months before feeling psychotic, I literally felt like I didn't know who I was. I switched to another pill, Loestrin and began to experience "crashing episodes" whenever I went off the pill the week of my period. I would get dizzy, feel like I would pass out, my heart would go up to 200 beats per min., my blood pressure would soar and I would shake uncontrollably for several hours afterward. After going to the emergency room 3 times for these attacks, and breathing problems I was told they were panic attacks although I never really felt anxious.

I stopped the Loestrin after 4 months knowing this was not normal and now 9 months later I still have anxiety and severe panic attacks when I take any kind of stimulant...coffee, herbs, decongestants...never had a problem before this pill. I am slowly working on going places as I would freak out when I left my house for 5 mos.

I had 2 of these episodes in the doctors office so I realized I couldn't go to public places where I would feel uncomfortable. My doc. put me on IV fluids both times I had an episode there and he said it was a "Virus", and never did anything else although I saw him 5 times to figure out what was going on.

Right after I got off the pills altogether I did get a virus that caused vertigo. I had this one other time so I thought it would go away but it got worse. I was stuck in bed for 3 weeks barely able to take a bath or eat because I could not lift my head without feeling like I was spinning. I was so weak that I could barely walk from one room to another. Needless to say after seeing 2 neurologists (thinking this was Multiple Sclerosis) they too said it was a virus but I still experience imbalance and bad vision 9 mos. later.

My symptoms from the beginning and even after stopping were:
1) Trouble sleeping
2) Headaches and pain in left eye
3) Blurry vision
4) Hot Flashes and instant sweating
5) Breathing problems
6) Naseau
7) Viral infection with Vertigo, Dizziness, Imbalance
8) Sinus problems for 6 mos.
9) Swollen lymph nodes for 9 mos.
10) Swollen thyroid gland but test are normal.
11) Pressure and Popping in ears that never went away.
12) Swelling in ears
13) Higher blood pressure 140/90
14) Extreme fatigue for 8 mos.
15) Extreme panic attacks with feeling faint.
16) Heart racing even when relaxed (typically 90 beats per min when sleeping...should be 60 or less)
17) Inability to do any physical exertion, like walking!!!

I had several EKG's, holter monitor, CT of the head twice, chest xrays..all normal.

I also know that all of this was caused by Yaz and exacerbated by Loestrin. I believe this pill causes inflammation in the body, hormone imbalance because the body does not know how to react to the "different kinds of hormones in the pill", anxiety and clearly many other symptoms. I still do not feel like myself a year later. DO NOT take this medication because it can happen to you! I have spent hundreds of dollars on vitamins, holistic treatments, medical costs and anxiety programs to get rid of the effects of this pill. The only good thing that came out of this is that I am exploring vegetarianism because of all the excess hormones put in meat and dairy and will never take a man-made medication unless my life depends on it!

Anyone interested in getting healthy, read Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. I already have more energy! Yay! Good luck to everyone and take care of yourself...don't expect it from other sources!

I think you are probably not aware of how refreshing it is to read what the author has done website or if you take the time to enjoy the sunshine of what you have done here. In any case, thank you are doing a fantastic work. You have made a difference for me!

When starting Yaz, I gained 20 pounds rather quickly and about 6 to 8 months after starting Yaz, I had to have my gallbladder removed. I had never previously had problems with it and the gallbladder disease came on VERY sudden. Despite me talking to my dr at my yearly exam, he kept me on it. My general doc ran some tests and my C Reactive protein test was through the roof. We experimented and took me off for a few months. Low and behold, the C Reactive protein numbers came down. I believe Yaz not only caused the gallbladder disease, but also causes inflamation in the body period. I took myself off and waiting to see my doc for something else.

I took Yaz for almost a year because I have severe PMDD. During that time I was sent to the hospital twice for severe panic attacks. One of these appeared as an asthma attack, the other was a REAL concussion that I was self inflicted during a panic attack the previous night. Other than this I had no symptoms while ON Yaz, but when I went off is another matter.

I went off Yaz for 3 months because I couldn't afford it. During this time I started having severe and constant abdominal pains. My doctor finally sent me for an ultrasound and it was determined I had developed numerous cysts on both of my ovaries, a large one onf one kidney and a polyp on my gallbladder. This pain was constant and at times so bad I could barely breath. Just touching the area of the gallbladder would cause me to burst into tears from the pain.

As soon as I went back on Yaz (this was prior to the class action suit) the pain lessoned and even went away for a month. When I realized the connection I weaned my body off slowly. The symptoms came back, but at a much lesser degree.

I have been off of Yaz for months now and afraid to go back on any form of birth control.

Deidra

I am 16 years old and I took Yaz to help with my acne.So I started taking Yaz in July 09, towards the end. I took the pill for about three weeks then stopped because I felt sad all the time and like I needed to throw up. I hoped that I would feel better after kicking it, but I got much much worse. I always wanted to throw up,parts of my legs would go numb(my knees alot of the time), my heart would race fast for the smallest things like going to school or the doctors, I'd get random pains on my body and my hair falls out alot and looks terrible. I also would get headaches frequently, panic attacks or the feeling of being trapped but the worst is the need to throw up all the time. This pill has ruined my life, I used to have so much fun hanging out, and now I get nervous just going out with a friend. Its been about 8 months since I stopped taking the pill and I'm getting slightly better. I still get headaches, feel terribly nauseous and have my heart race out of nowhere. I went to the doctors, but they were convinced that it was my eating habits, not the pill. I can't even go to the hospital or talk to my mom about it cause she thinks I'm being paranoid, and my dad didn't even know about this. I'm so alone and I can't even talk to my friends about it, because they have no idea what I'm going through. The most frustrating part is that my mom refuses to believe that it is the pill that makes me feel like this. I wholeheartingly regret taking this pill and I want my old body back.

I've been taking Yaz for a few months now to help with my acne. While it's been working great for that, I've started to notice other issues. First of all, I've gained weight, which can happen over the holidays, but I work out twice a day and eat great, but still haven't been able to get rid of it. And then lately, I've noticed that I can't sleep through the night. I wake up periodically and can't sleep soundly. And even worse, Yaz has severely affected my mood. I find that I have meltdowns and cry often, I can't focus or remember anything, and that I easily fall into a rage about small things, which has never been an issue for me. I'm stopping the pill today, and I will repost soon to let you know how soon I feel back to normal. Also, does anybody know how long it takes to lose the weight you gain on Yaz? Does it come off by itself, or do you have to work it off?

Well I posted about my 16 year old daughter in January 2010. She is so much better with the Depression, Anxiety, mood swings, etc. But we ae still struggling with the fullness and popping (no relief of fullnes) and the hair loss. We have now gone a different route with her ear situation since everything else has been tried. She is under the care of a Chiropractor, and slowly seems the fullness is getting better. I hate to hear about all the things that yaz has caused and how it has affected so many lives.

All of us are different and have different reactions to any medication out there, but anyone involved in the Class action lawsuit, has a right to be, and they should not be judged by that. We are not out to ruin the lives of anyone, we are working together to help one another, and hope no others have to go through this as so many have already.

Best regards, and always put your Health first.

Dee

I have just started YAZ this month, it is probably my 14th day of taking the pills but I have already noticed a sharp downturn of my mood. I generally function well at work, but when I am alone at home, I literally just want to do nothing but crawl into fetal position and cry. I am taking the pills to treat my acne and not for birth control purpose, I am hoping I will give it a few months to 'settle'... but will it really 'settle'? Should I just stop taking YAZ?

I JUST STOP TAKING YAZ on Monday 3/1/2010! I had been taking YAZ for a little over 2 years. At first I had headaches but they went away - I just figured it was my body getting used the medicine. I then began to experience abdominal pains (intermittently) when my cycle had not even started (I even went to get an ultrasound to see if the pain was being caused by my fibroid possibly growing - which turned out not to be the case).

I also started experiencing blurred vision and pains in my legs. All the while my mother was telling me to stop taking Yaz because she started to see commercials talking about the side effects and recruiting persons for a class action lawsuit. I still didn't listen - in my mind I just was not making the connection. I then started having back issues - which I thought was being caused by my heavy book bag. On top of all of that I would have moments of extreme anger and annoyance with the smallest things and in other moments I'd be really weepy and sad.

I really should have listened to my mother way sooner. I then began to experience hair loss - but I still didn't attribute it to Yaz until I went to see my dermatologist about my thinning hair. She drew blood and then told me that my testosterone was too low - it was a 10 when it should have been at least a 14 (the minimum). I then talked to my mom - again and she suggested that once again it could be Yaz. She then proceeded to tell me she'll call me back - that she's going to do some research and get more information about Yaz. I was in class so at the end of the day I got her message asking me to call her immediately, at which point I did. She then proceeded to tell me that ALL of the issues I had been complaining about up to this point were ALL side effects of YAZ - I was dumbfounded, scared, pissed and felt rather stupid for not putting two and two together sooner.

I have decided not to take anything for my cramps (I was taking YAZ for symptoms of PMDD i.e. severe cramps)I'm going to totally detoxify my body by increasing my intake of antioxidants i.e. akai berry, blueberry and cranberry juice as well as green tea. I'm also going to try the herbal route as far as trying to deal with my symptoms.

Please if you are taking this drug STOP! It is not worth it! The very PMDD symptoms the drug is suppose to alleviate it's actually causing them and MORE! It's not worth the pain - I feel like I was a guinea pig in the second phase of testing for YAZ! It amazes me that the FDA allowed this drug to be released to the masses!

I pray for all of you who have shared your stories and experiences with the negative side effects of this drug - I hope that our stories will help others realize that Yaz is not the answer.

I am over 35, my OBGYN recommended that I take Yaz to help w/ adult acne and heavy bleeding. I've been taking in for 4 days. On day 3 I woke up w/ the right arm numb and in pain, i thought i had slept in a weird way but the pain and numbness was there all day into the next day. i immediately googled "side effects of Yaz" and found out that numbess and pain in arms or legs is a sympton. i immediately talked to my doctor (with little support from her) I decided to stop taking this pill on my own. thank the Lord it only took 3 days for something terrible to happen - i'm afraid to think of what would happen had i been on it longer than a month.

All oral contraceptive pills have the risk of mood changes, blood clots, strokes, breast tenderness, etc. I've tried many and found Yaz to be the least intolerable of the bunch. Most of the issues listed in this blog could easily be applied to any birth control pill. Go after the deep pockets and sue Yaz so I will not be able to get mine in the future. Thanks ladies.

i was on the depo shot for over 10 years and decided to go on the pill to help get my body back into the swing of things. i started on a different pill and switched to yaz. i am more miserable now than i ever was. i'm in my fifth month of using yaz and want to be done with it. after reading what i have on this site i have confirmed my suspiscions and will be talking to my doc to re-evaluate this situation. i loved it at first but then things started going very wrong with my body and now i don't like it at all

Yaz almost destroyed my career and my marriage. I was a year into my dream job and my marriage and one month into Yaz and I started having panic attacks, felt like I was dying, became paranoid, mean, and just in general miserable. I was told by many doctors that I was crazy and that my birth control had nothing to do with my symptoms. I was put on so many different medications to deal with the crushing anxiety and suicidal thoughts. I went to counseling. Nothing helped. I hated everyone. Finally after a year I had enough of listening to doctors and decided to listen to my body. I did some research and found other women's stories.
I have been off YAZ for a month and am not going to counseling, and have tapered off all the anxiety meds. GUESS WHAT!
I feel much more normal.
But the damage to my job done, I will never be promoted after the emotional behavior at my job, I am lucky to still have my job. My husband is still with me, but we had to go to marriage counseling because I was so mean to him! Before this we were dating for 7 years and had no relationship problems.
STAY AWAY FROM YAZ IT IS EVIL POISON. Clear skin and bigger boobs are not worth anything I went through. Just use a condom!

I took Yaz for two years, from age 22-24, and while it did clear up my acne and lighten my periods considerably, I was suffering constantly from severe anxiety and depression, chest pains, shortness of breath, numbness in fingers and toes, arm pain, severe headaches, and absolutely no sex drive. I felt like I was dying, and I think my boyfriend thought that I had lost my mind. I started to suspect the birthcontrol early on, but I had my doubts when it came to the psychological side effects because I have always been prone to high anxiety and depression, but I had certainly never experienced anything like the attacks I had when I was on Yaz. I must say that these side effects lessened when I started supplementing regularly with fish oil, a multivitamin, and other supplements for general health. Taking fish oil helped me tremendously, as I noticed major improvements in my depression and anxiety. I want to note for women who are on birthcontrol right now, that supplementing with B vitamins is a major importance. Birthcontrol cause deficiencies, and B vitamins play a major role in the body's ability to deal with stress, as well as proper nerve function. Of course, you should do your own research on what may be appropriate for you. I suppose my point is that birthcontrol of any kind can throw your body out of whack, so I believe it is important to try to counteract this, even after you stop taking it. I have been off of Yaz since Febuary of 2009, when I said to myself that enough is enough. While heavier periods are back as well as bad acne, I would much rather have it this way, then risk my health and my life with Yaz.

Hi everyone, I’m 19 and YAZ has been my fist pill. My gynecologist prescribed YAZ to treat my acne and severe and painful menstruations. She told me this would be a very “light” and harmless pill for especially young girls with a wide range of positive side effects. So I started taking YAZ in hope to get rid of all my suffering… well but in fact I nearly ruined my life during the next 15 days.
The first thing I noticed was a constant headache and my whole body was aching. Then I got high blood pressure, heart fluttering, a weird feeling in my ears like tinnitus, constant breathlessness, my period didn’t stop for 3 weeks, I got severe acne, depression, anxiety and a complete change in mood – sometimes crying causeless, sometimes shouting at people I love without any reason, although this behavior is totally against my nature. I wasn’t myself anymore! Moreover, I was frustrated by loosing tons of hair, because I’ve always been so proud of my long and shiny hair and after one week taking YAZ it looked ugly and scrubby instead of beautiful. But the worst thing was that I couldn’t sleep for over six nights (although I’ve never had any sleeping problems or insomnia before) and because of my change in mood, my depression and my lack of interest in life, I nearly gave up my dream I’ve worked so hard for. Since September I’m studying at University and it was very difficult to pass the acceptance test in the first place. Nevertheless, after being on YAZ for 15 days my mind changed completely and suddenly I wanted to exmatriculate so I could stay at home (crying). I lost all my ambition and will to live and yes I blame this on YAZ, because 2 weeks after stopping the intake I became normal again and continued my life and studying.
Finally, I want to apologize for my bad English, it’s not my mother tongue, but I felt the urgent need to tell you about my experiences with YAZ and I just can recommend you to stay away from it.

I have been on Femcon for about 10 months and have recently got my pills changed. I will start yaz next week but after iam reading the posts Iam scared to death. Femcon broke my face out constantly so the doctor changed me to yaz on the count of that.

Hi there...
I started using Yaz 6 months ago. At first I got headaches and nausea but thought that it would go away in time as the pill needs to "settle" if I may call it that! But now I'm suffering from dark brown discharges (for a full month after my period), hair loss, chest pains! I'm visiting my doctor today - will keep you posted!

I just turned 28. I started on Yaz almost a year ago. I had given birth to my second child and my OB put me on it because I mentioned thay I had been feeling moody and not myself. It was awesome for the first few months. I was so happy, felt normal, and other positive effects. Over the past few months though, I['ve taken a turn for the worst. My hair started to dry out (always had perfect, healthy hair), more white hairs too. But what it worse is my mood swings came back...and they seem worse than ever. I snap at my husband and kids for no good reason, I cry for no reason, I feel "not like myself," I feel overwhelmed, as if I don't have time for myself, I could go on and on. Anyone else have this problem? I am seeing my OB in March for my annual check-up and will ask what he reccomends for a new birthcontrol. But I wonder if I should just stop taking Yaz after my next menstrul cycle in a couple weeks.
Any suggestions? I need help and my family is suffering because of it.

I was on YAZ for ENDOMETRIOSIS and was so excited to get relief (this was my first birth control). This pill has put a stop to my life for the last 8 months and I stopped it over 5 months ago. My symptoms are still here.

For anyone with ENDOMETRIOSIS...do not take birth control! It only adds to your problem of TOO MUCH ESTROGEN. Go to www.endo-resolved.com and start taking natural supplements like DIM to fix your problem because once you take YAZ and have even more problems and your doctor tells you nothing is wrong with you, you'll realize that you only have yourself to fix your problems, there is nothing your doctor will do!!!

Heya i got to your site by mistake when i was searching bing for something off topic here but i do have say your site is really helpful, like the theme and the content on here...so thanks for me procrastinating from my previous task, lol

I'm sixteen years old, and was referred to Yaz by my gynaecologist as a symptom relief for an illness i have called Endometriosis. Scarily enough, i was on Yaz for only TWELVE DAYS before being rushed to hospital with extreme dizzyness, "pins and needles" seering through both legs and awful chest pain. Turns out i had developed acute pulmonary emboli from being on the pill for little under two weeks. I've been off for just over a month and haven't had a period, and i am still experiencing symptoms. Thanks to Yaz I can never be on another form of birth control again.

Hey, this is my first visit to your blog... We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. good job

Hey, i've been reading this blog for a while and have a question, maybe you can help... it's how do i add your feed to my rss reader as i want to follow you. Thanks.

WOW, I can't believe so many have had similar experiences to my own. I was on Yaz after giving birth to my second child and while I was in my final year of grad school to become a psychologist. The longer I was on it the more I became convinced I was losing my mind. My anxiety began when I was unable to travel 4 hrs from my home. Soon, I couldn't go 1/2 from my home. Than came the day when I was unable to go 2 blocks from my home w/o having a severe anxiety attack (I have no prior history of anxiety). I felt like one of the patients I was attempting to help! Finally after 8 mo. of misery I came to the conclusion that I was in fact losing my mind. It was then that my husband (looking for reading material in the bathroom!!) read an article linking anxiety to yaz. I stopped taking it that day and within one week the anxiety began to decrease and I slowly got back to my old life. I have spoken to many women who have taken yaz as well but none seemed to experience anything remotely similar to my own experience. This website is a wonderful relief and further confirms it wasn't just in my head. Thanks for sharing ladies!

Hi all, I am 27 and this is my 4th month with YAZ. Adaptation went actually ok, with minor daily bleedings. However, I noticed that the headaches which I rarely had before, are becoming real migraines. Another thing - almost a week I am having light bleedings in the middle of my cycle. Has anyone experienced it before?

I am so grateful to have found this website. I have been on yaz for 3 months and I always had a bad feeling about being on it. My doctor had said not to listen to any of the commercials or lawsuites against yaz because nothing was proven. I never used to have headaches and now I do. I get sharp pains in my head that is worse than a headache that I haven't had before. I called the doctor's office about a month ago to ask if it was normal to have my period for 14 days. The lady had said that it may just take awhile for the pill to get used to my body and that I need to be sure to take it at the exact same time everyday. What happened to the two hour window? I've also been depressed and moody. I'm happy one minute and the next I'm crazy. I'm lucky to have nothing too serious happen to me and I feel for the women who have gone through hair loss and other horrible side effects. Starting tomorrow no more yaz for me. :)

@Denise (Jan 4 posting):

I was 41 when prescribed Yaz for perimenopausal symptoms. I'm a thin, competitive swimmer, have never smoked and have no family history of clotting problems. It took 6 months for me to have bilateral pulmonary emboli on Yaz. Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY from Yaz!

My 14 year old started Yaz 5 months ago for PMDD. Since then, her periods have been shorter and lighter flow. But the side effects have been a nightmare. Tried telling Dr. and she said give it at least 3 months or more. Well on the 4th month and ready to take her off. Some of the side effects she has had: extreme nausea, stomach pain, difficulty sleeping, severe mood swings, anger and rage. Has had a yeast infection, headaches, loss of appetite, cold all the time even wiyh a heater. Vaginal discharge, different then normal. Panic attacks, depression, withdrawal just wanting to stay home alone. Has had mor sinus infections and worse cough. General sense of feeling bad, body aches, pain in legs, lower back pain. Symptoms worse in morning and bedtime. And her dad does not believe she feels this way, and thinks she faking it! I have her appt. next week and taking her off. So glad I found this forum and its not all imagined. Thank You.

I'm 16 years old. I have been on yaz since I was 14 to try to control cysts. For about three months at least, I've been getting random extremely sharp stomach pains that last 3, 4, or 5 hours... At first doctors considered stomach problems relating to acid, like ulcers and such but the acid reducers they gave me didn't work. All of a sudden, I see on tv about the yaz lawsuits, and did some research. Gall bladder disease has the same symptoms as an ulcer. I haven't been to the doctor yet, but I'm getting an appointment to get tested. I just hope that yaz has not ruined my life.

I was on Yaz since April of 2006. In April of 09 I was admitted to the hospital with multiple blood clots in my left leg and 2 PEs, one in each lung. I am LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! I loved Yaz as I have PMDD and it made my life bearable, but for those side effects, never again!

I started to take Yaz after my health insurance would not cover the birth control I was taking. So my ob/gy switch me to something compatiable that I was using. I had just given birth to my 2nd son so I was using the pill as a form of birth control. The side effects I had from it was terrible mood swings such as:
not wanting to be with my family, wanting to be around my sons, uncontrolable crying over everything and nothings, terrible mood swings be fine one minute and off the wall the next.

I did not know what was happening to me and I was so depressed about it. Finally I decided to stop taking the Yaz pill and with in a few weeks to a month I was back to my normal self. I would not advise this pill to anyone.
Thanks,
Katy

I was on Yaz for several years to regulate my periods. I experienced migraine headaches, dizziness, vertigo, blood pressure spikes, difficulty staying asleep, heart flutters and a decrease in sex drive. My husband and I both agreed that I should go off of it. I did in October 9009. These last 2 months have been equally terrible! I have experienced the most un-godly menstrual cramps, bleeding during my periods that is so heavy I couldn't leave my house. Today, I was in the ER for severe pain that had me leaving work in tears. The doctor isn't sure, but thinks I have an ovarian cyst. I am a fitness instructor, and a spa director, and have always considered myself healthy. I am somewhat alarmed by the fact that 2.5 months after stopping this drug, I continue to experience negative effects. I feel like I have been poisoned!

I'm curious as to the ages of people that Yaz is effecting in a negative way. I was prescribed Yaz 3 yrs ago because I was experienceing severe PMS and hormonal changes with premenapause, but decided not to take it due to reading articles about birth control in general. PLus I reading the pharmarcey sheet it strictly tells you you should get blood tests monthly for potiusm. Then just this past year I was seeing the commericals about all the law suits with Yaz. So again, I'm curious, is this something effecting younger girls rather than older women?
Any thoughts would be helpful.

What a wonderful site this is. I am so happy I have found this.

My Daughter is 16 years old. She has been to over 6 Doctors with most of the problems related to fullness & popping (With no relief) of her ears. She has been tested for allergies (negative), Had a Cat Scan, MRI, and even had Myringotomy & Tympanostomy Tubes done on Novmember 11, 2009. She has also been under the care of temporomandibular joint disorder since Aug 2009. Nothing has helped her. I guess we were so focused on the issue with her ears that we have ignored many other symptoms she has.

1. Popping of ears with no relief (when it pops only relief is to lay down and put pressure on the ear that popped)
2. Constant fullness of ears
3. Mood swings
4. Emotional (will cry over nothing)
5. Fatigue
6. Bloating
7. Dizziness/Balance
8. Blurred vision

After doctors telling her there is nothing wrong, and the tubes in ears did not work (As our last resort), we are at a loss. Well thanks to this site, perhaps not. She has been on Yaz birth control since 1/09 (for Acne) . We took her to ENT doctors shortly after she started on the pill and have been still trying to get her relief. Upon reading this site, we are immediately stopping the Yaz.

I really hope this resolves the issue she is having, and able to be fun loving teenager she has been missing. Able to do things, go out shopping, watch TV, be with friends, talk and eat without having the problems. I will keep you all posted. And for anyone going through what we have PLEASE do NOT use this Pill, and If the Doctors do not catch something like this, Do what you need, to help yourself or the one involved.

Best Regards,
Dee

I'm 32, and started taking Yaz 8 months ago for severe menstrual cramps, which had worsened in the past few years. I was very pleased that Yaz made my periods magically disappear, and I mean completely disappear. However, after about two months, I began experiencing the following:
*difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
*daily morning headaches about 5 days per week, that would sometimes last just a few hours, and would at other times develop into a debilitating migraine
*nausea/vomiting
*tingling sensation in legs and toes
*fluttering heart
*irritability
*depression
*inability to focus at work
*loss of interest in life

In the past 8 months, I've landed in the ER twice due to heart palpitations, and dehydration from violent vomiting.

Granted, not everyone reacts the same way to a medication, but I strongly feel that, given the sheer volume of people who have experienced these and other frightening symptoms, the FDA should yank this off the market. I have stopped taking Yaz this weekend, and will be posting a complaint to the FDA. I would strongly encourage anyone currently taking this pill to stop immediately, even if no side effects have been experienced. It's not worth it.

I came across this website a few years ago while taking Yaz and thought about posting a good review of the birth control. It was truely the best birth control I had ever been on. It got rid of my extreme PMS and other extreme period symptoms with no side effects except having no period, which was great in my eyes. I enjoyed being on Yaz for about two years until shortly after my 22nd birthday when I lost my health insurance. Two months after I stopped taking Yaz I was suddenly admitted to the hospital for kidney failure and a gallbladder infection. After being admitted to the hospital for a total of a week and a half, the doctors had no idea what caused my illnesses. The only hint of a cause I could get out of the doctors was that it may have been caused by my birth control. I was a perfectly healthy twenty-two year old with no prior health issues aside from asthma and food allergies before I was admitted to the hospital. Now I worry constantly that my kidneys may stop working or my gallbladder may become infected again.

I feel like a light bulb just went off in my brain. I was starting to think I was crazy. I have been on Yaz for about 3 years. In the beginning I noticed no real difference in my health. I have always been a bit moody and have had problems with my back for ten years so I never attributed related symptoms to Yaz. Over the past 2 years I have noticed an array of changes in my body. I saw my PCP a year ago because I was feeling irritable and extremely fatigued. After blood work was done I was told I had hypothyroidism. After beginning medication for the thyroid I started to feel better but the relief was short term. The sluggishness came back and my moods went back to extremely happy to extremely angry or upset. I have gained at least 15 pounds in the last 2 years but I attributed it to poor eating and my thyroid. Looking back I find it ironic because thyroid medication usually makes you lose weight rapidly but even with strict diet and exercise this past summer I had an extremely difficult time losing the excess weight (in the past w/diet and exercise the weight fell off quickly but now it doesn't budge especially around my belly, a place I never had problems with).
Other symptoms I experience are extreme itching all over my body (especially around my ears and head), vaginal discharge, migraine headaches, nausea, bruising on my feet and legs and low sex drive. Recently I've had scarier symptoms including; heart palpitations, shortness of breath, blurred vision, that foggy out of it feeling, and abdominal pain. I thought maybe these were side effects of my back medications (high dose NSAIDS). Wait, that’s funny I just read in the research that NSAIDS and YAZ are a bad combination, HOW COME NONE OF MY DOCTORS TOLD ME THIS, THEY KNEW I WAS TAKING BOTH? Just today I went for an ultra sound to check on my abdominal pain, luckily things came back ok. My mom is actually the one that suggested my problems could be Yaz related, she had seen the commercials and articles I hadn't seen. Even a nurse during my recent back surgery commented on the drug. I don't know why I never thought of Yaz being a factor before. I've blamed it on my back problems and thyroid or just being depressed about my surgery. For the past year I have felt like a hypochondriac, my husband calls me a walking calamity. I feel like there's always something wrong with me and I'm so sick of feeling sick. I want the athletic, energetic, fun loving Kristin back. I want to feel good again (can't even remember what that feels like). I really hope that if Yaz is to blame it hasn't affected me forever. I'm stopping Yaz today and calling my doc. ASAP. Thank you for this forum, I feel like all your stories have helped me fit all these puzzle pieces together. I'm really hopeful that Yaz is the culprit and that by stopping it I can feel better again. Best wishes to everyone!

Hi
The only problem I am having is bloating and I am always tired . I have been taking it for a month now , I just hope that I do not pick up any weight

Hey,i am so againist this birth control.It was my first time taking any kind of birth control.I was 19 when i started it and thought it was going to be ok.One day i just started crying for no reason.I started having these feelings that i was going to die!Ive never experiences anything like this in my life.I cried every day all day.I was at work crying,i could not sleep because i was too scared i wouldnt wake up.I hid all the knives,pills,anything that i thought would kill me.I thought everything was wrong with me if i had a headace i went to the hospital i had mri's done.they couldnt figure out what was wrong.They then told me i had severe anxiety.I had to go see a phycologist and it came down to the b.c.I finally stop taking it and after a few months things went back to almost normal.i still get these panic attacks every now and then but not like before.I WILL NEVER EVER RECOMEND THIS B.C. TO ANY ONE!

I dont know if my problems are from Yaz. But it seems like that is the only thing it could be. I was on Yaz for 2 years for Birth Control. I loved it. Aug 2008 I got sick with a sinus infection and stayed dizzy. Took antibiotics felt better then it came back, no sinus infection but dizziness and chest pains. Stopped taking my YAZ and symptoms improved in 48hrs.
BUT..now its dizziness, chest pains, heart racing, palpitations, middle back pain, rare migraines (diagnosed with but no real bad headaches) one eye red but went away,eye problems seeing, cloudy vision then clears up. I have been to a Internal med dr, Neurologist and ENT. MRI of head, arteries of brain, CT of chest for pulm embolism, EEG, US of carotids and thyroid. Blood tests came out good.
I function but its starting to effect my everyday life. But yet no dr can tell me wants wrong with me. The only thing I can find is side effects to YAZ.
I am so frustrated. Its all I think about. I just want to feel the way I use to.

Thank you for sharing your stories. I have been on YAZ for 3 weeks now for use as birth control and treatment of PMDD. Last week I suffered from 2 migraines and have had a headache since. My tounge is swollen, I feel dizzy and in a fog. My temperment is all over the place-- calm and collected to angry and violent within minutes. I feel like I'm in a constant fog and can not handle anything right now. I have a doctor appointment today to discuss my issues, but after reading all of these posts I have come to my own conclusion-- I have to stop taking this medication immediately! Thank you for having this forum I hope others find this website as soon as I did!

Foremost, let me commend your uncloudedness on this subject. I am not an expert on this subject, but after studying your article, my understanding has developed well. Please allow me to take hold of your rss feed to remain in touch with any forthcoming updates. Fabulous job and will extend it on to supporters and my web site readers.

Hey everyone. I don't have a pleasant comment to write about yaz. I started taking Yaz when my first child was six months old. I was a stay at home mom and for the most part always happy. Aside for the monthly time that every woman has. Who isn't entitled to a few bad days here and there too. I was on Yaz for a total of five days starting in Feb. 2008. I felt in a brain fog and started having severe intrusive thoughts. I went to a walk-in clinic and was tranferred by ambulance to the hospital where I was evaluated. I was told that it sounded like I had postpartum depression and sent home with a sleep med and some information about talking to my ob/gyn. I developed a headache that just wouldn't go away. Followed by vision changes, I put on 25 lbs in one month. My muscles started twitching and my ears popped. I have severe panic attacks and anxiety. Paranoia is unreal. It is Dec. of 2009 and I have been on Effexor xr and Pristiq but honestly neither really help. Sometimes I get so worked up that I vomit. I seen a neurologist about the shaking, eyes being blurry, nervousness, dizziness but he says all looks fine with me. A ct and mri came back fine. I had an eeg done that was abnormal but said it prob was a glich in system.
My opinion is anyone who thinks about taking this should really reconsider it. I would not recommend this to my worst enemy..... Maybe one day someone will find and answer of how to reverse this. Until then I will keep fighting....

It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the info you have apportioned. Just continue composing this kind of post. I will be your patriotic reader. Gives Thanks over again.

I started taking Yaz last May to help clear up my skin and ease my painful periods and immediately started noticing heart palpitations and difficulty breathing at night when I went to bed. Everything else was working perfectly, skin clear, short, painless periods... but I knew the whole time that my heart palpitations were not normal. I stopped in November when the palpitations started happening 24/7 and it freaked me out. I've been off of it now for about 3 weeks and am already seeing a difference. I can't feel my heart beating 24/7 which is such a relief. My skin is breaking out again and my cramps are back to normal, but I'd rather have a few zits than a stroke or a heart attack. I would recommend stopping Yaz immediately if you have noticed anything weird that might cause concern... even if it is working well in other areas. I'm going to give it a few more months to get completely out of my system and I'll probaby try a low dose of Ortho-tricyclen that has a lot more years and research than Yaz. Good luck to all!

Good Day!!! yazforum.com is one of the best informational websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. yazforum.com rocks!

Has anyone had any luck with hair re-growth after getting off Yaz? My fiance has been off it since Feb of 2009 and her hair just stopped falling out last month!

I assumed that the hormones in her body would simply go back to noraml. However, I just read every post on this site and didnh't see a single person mention if their hair ever came back once it fell out.

At this point I am wondering if she will have to take other measures to get her hair back.

I am 45 years old and I am on the verge of tears discovering all the information about this pill. I've been on it for nearly 2 years. The first few months, I did have night sweats, but attributed it to getting use to the pill. It did help with pre-menstral mood swings - calming me considerably. But I only had a period during the first month or so after using the pill, then I didn't have a period for a year - I went to see my doctor, who told me this was normal with this pill.
Then one month I missed some pills and decided to restart on Sunday - well I finally got a period and it lasted nearly 14 days -not light days either. I have not been myself for at least the last 1 1/2 years while on this pill. I was laid off in 2008 and all this time, I had thought that I was depressed because of being laid off, but now that I have a new job and I have still been feeling the same. I am numb and even my children have noticed it. I have lost interest in everything important to me, and I have no emotions for anything. NUMB.
*I have lost my sex drive - which I did tell my doctor about.
*I have a racing heart beat
*My vision has increasing gotten extremely blury
*my fingers and feet tingle
*my chest just feels tight
I could go on and on and on, but what frigtens me the most is that if it had not been for my 18 yr old daughter bringing this issue with Yaz to my attention, I could have had a stroke and died. That's where the tears start. I'm stopping this pill today. I hadn't been alerted by my doctor, my pharmisist or anyone.

I was prescribed yaz by my gyno 2 and a half years ago. I was 31 and had never taken a b/c pill before. I was always a sufferor of heavy periods with a lot of painful cramping and moodiness. Yaz sounded so good. I didn't need it for weight loss or acne control even though my doctor said it was good for such things. For the past two years I have suffered abdominal pain, headaches,muscle twitching, sharp pains in my chest, dry eyes, pain behind my eyes. I had to finally quit my job of eight years because I began to have what I now refer to as one of my episodes. It starts with a headache, lower back and upper lip sweats, chills/burning up, lip numbness and tingling, tingling and cold numbness in the tips of my fingers,and cold feet. Nausea and abdominal pain follow. I have passed out after a lethargy and hazy tunneled vision occurs. I can sit down, lay down, kneel down and still blackout. I did this at work twice, and several times at home. I was rushed to the ER a few times and had CT's to make sure I wasn't seizing or stroking out. I was sent to an internist for heart palpitations in conjunction with all these symptoms. I was hooked up to heart monitors and given tilt table tests, and numerous blood tests for allergies. I had ultrasounds on my gallbladder and liver because of the abdominal pain. I had non-stop bouts of loose stool. I gained twenty five pounds. My breast increased by two cup sizes and my hips and thighs are now very fatty, I never had cellulite before, or love-handles! I now have bouts of acne when before I rarely got even a spot. My skin gets very oily, yuck. I began to get bad breath and I'm so sweaty at times, I cannot stand it. All the test I mentioned before were negative for anything. My doctor doesn't seem concerned at all. The only conclusion that anyone could make was that I may suffer from bouts of low blood pressure and have to avoid caffeine and increase sodium in my diet. I can't even have a sip of caffeine or all of these symptoms come crashing back down on me with a vengeance. My moods have gone downhill as well. I used to be a real go getter at work and enjoyed keeping my house neat and organized, I love my family and we were great. Not anymore. I can't even bring myself to care if my house is clean, I screamed at my husband of nine years for the first time this year then broke into tears. I have been so depressed and having a hard time sleeping. I don't like to eat anymore because I know that as soon as I do I will feel sore and bloated and possibly nauseous. I just want to be me again...This is my life now. I went off yaz six months ago, and I'm sorry to say that I have yet to recover. I have also stopped having a menstrual period and will be going back to the gyno very soon to discuss this now that I have seen the website. I have started to avoid doctors because I feel embarrassed to bring it all up again. Then again I may have to choose a new gyno. He is the one that sent me to a different doctor for all these tests when I now know that it might have been the yaz he prescribed all along. I hope this will pass, but I was on yaz for a long time. I liked the lighter periods I got with yaz but would trade it all back again if I had known what was going to happen. I may never take b/c pills again.

I can't believe all these comments. I guess I'll just add my crazy Yaz story to the mix! I started Yaz for adult acne and took it for a total of 9 months. My symptoms were/are as follows:
1. Itchy/burning scalp
2. Anxiety
3. Leg & arm cramping
4. Numbness/tingling in fingers, toes, knees
5. Suspected carpal tunnel syndrome
6. Extreme fatigue
7. Trouble concentrating
8. Panic attacks
9. Muscle pain
10. Gas & bloating
11. Sensitivity to cold
I quit taking it about 2 months ago, and I'm still waiting for everything to stop. I still have a lot of pain and numbness in my hands and wrists, so that's why I suspect carpal tunnel. I'm a dental hygienist, so it's a risk of the job. The thing is, I've only been doing this job for 3 years, and never had these symptoms prior to taking Yaz. I have a gyno appointment in February. We're going to discuss the pill I'm currently on (Desogen), and I'm going to see if she thinks my symptoms are tied to Yaz. If so, I'm suing the crap out of them.

I am glad I found this forum. I had a very bad reaction to Yaz after 1 mos of use. I was having a rage/anger problem on it.I felt like I was going crazy on it. Severe fast heart beat,moody,anxious,depressed and severe headache. I fought with my sweet boyfriend and broke up with him. I called my doctor and he put me in the ER for high blood pressure,headache and possible stroke.My dr made me go off it. The withdrawal has been horrible and although after two months I feel better than I did.I still don't feel completely well again. I am glad i found site. My boyfriend broke up with me.

I am glad I found this forum. I had a very bad reaction to Yaz after 1 mos of use. I was having a rage/anger problem on it.I felt like I was going crazy on it. Severe fast heart beat,moody,anxious,depressed and severe headache. I fought with my sweet boyfriend and broke up with him. I called my doctor and he put me in the ER for high blood pressure,headache and possible stroke.My dr made me go off it. The withdrawal has been horrible and although after two months I feel better than I did.I still don't feel completely well again. I am glad i found site. My boyfriend broke up with me.

I met a girl who I fell in love with. We wanted to have a child, but decided it would be better to wait alittle longer so she went on birth control. She was an amazing person, loving, caring, just awesome! Well She was prescribed Yaz, about 2 weeks later after just starting it I noticed some things were different. She started wanting me to not be as loving along with many other things that changed. Our Sex life was incredible, we almost never had a regular life! But after the first month we maybe had half the amount of sex we normally had, then after the second month it was down to once a month! After that it was almost non-existant! After about 3 months of being on it she started to withdrawl from our relationship. We were engaged and extremely happy! We had everything planned out for the future! You couldn't tear us apart as we were inseparatable! Looking forward to everything life had to offer ahead of us. She decided she wanted space, became extremely depressed, she started hanging out with the wrong crowd smoking weed every day which made her more depressed, and then asked for a break, was extremely irratable and emotional. Always saying she felt sick and wanted to kill someone. She herself has said she is a different person and doesn't know what happened. She broke up with me alittle over a month ago. All the people she has called friends are no longer her friends because she pushed them all away. She was a wonderful person when I met her and she loved me so much! I'm still heart broken over everything that has happened and I'm crushed not understanding what is going on. We never had an arguement until she started being so strange. I only wanted to be there for her, I never hurt her or cheated on her. I was always the same person she fell in love with. She never had a problem with anything that had to do with me and she knows I would change anything that I can if she had a problem with something. She never said I had a problem. I have been so sick over all of this, trying to figure it out is making me crazy. I see all of these horrible stories from Yaz and wonder if it took a huge role in this! She said she felt like she was dying and the doctors might of found cancer of some sort, but she never really got into any of that. I have no idea whats really going on other then I'm alone now and the love of my life is going through something I can't even help with. I'm devastated! I just want it all to go back to normal...I want to hold her again in my arms and here her tell me how much she loves me, how much she wants to be with me =(

My mom has been seeing all the lawsuit commercials about Yaz,Yazmin, and Ocella. She was really concerned about me taking it. I just thought well there are risks with all birth control. But I decided to research about the side effects. Now I am scared, because I am having a lot of these same symptoms. I have been on Ocella for nearly a year At first I loved it because it cleared up my acne! and the nausea wasn't bad. I have had that problem with other birth controls. I was hoping it would help with my mood swings, however it didn't. in fact I am worse. I never thought it was the bc. Like someone else said, I feel crazy! Last week I had several nights I couldn't sleep...Just thought it was because my mind was pre occupied. Last night I had horrible stomach pain and bloating. For several weeks I had migraines that I couldn't make go away with medicine. Overeating and feeling sick. The nausea has gotten worse since the beginning. I am not taking it anymore! Guess my Mom's instinct was right!

I've been taking Yaz to prevent acne. Don't take it. Seriously. It's the worst birth control ever. It's done more harm than good. I feel terrible all the time. Every now and then I would have side effects, but they're just now starting to get serious after 3 months.

Nausea
Increased heart rate
Heartburn ALL THE TIME
I overeat, then feel sick afterward
Constipation
Feeling irritable and withdrawn
Nervousness/Anxious
Hair loss
Chest pain
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Dizziness
Dull pain in other areas of the body
Headaches
Lack of libido
Lack of energy
Blurred vision every once in a while

I did my research and sure enough, it all leads back to YAZ. If you're taking it, I advise you to switch immediately. Some women didn't see side effects up until a year or two later. I'm done with it. I'm never taking it again.

I'm 20 yeas old. I started taking YAZ in Early October.

The first day, I had the symptoms described on the box. I felt confidant in it, because the first day was spot on. Little did I know...

As weeks went on, I started to lose hair. My skin which was supposed to clear up, actually got worse. Instead of getting acne just on the left side of my forehead, I got it on my cheeks, chin, and nose.

I have been the definition of lethargic and depression. Like many, I cried on & off in the the first month. Once, during sex, embarrassingly enough. Prior, I was someone more emotionally stable than my boyfriend.

As I continued taking the drug, swelling down below had taken place. I was at a loss for words, and confided in my mother. It was so uncomfortable and painful, I didn't even want to attempt sex for my boyfriend's sake anymore (I lost my sex drive earlier). I searched the web and hoped it was a urinary tract infection or yeast infection. But I had one symptom, out of both of those. The urge to pee 24/7.

A couple days ago, I saw my doctor and told him about everything. Extreme abdominal pain, being one of them. I was hoping he'd say confidently "You have a UTI" but instead he seemed baffled and prescribed me Cipro (not the first recommended drug for a UTI) and started talking about my kidney if I don't feel better in 7 days.

Not to mention when they tested my urine, they said it was cloudy, almost as if I had my period. I was asked twice, and replied no. The last time I had any bleeding, is when I bled and spotted heavily for two weeks in October. So much, I went through a box and a half of tampons. And half a pack, of pads.

I've gotten weight gain, and eat less than ever.

My body aches, I'm tired, and I feel like I'm carrying a bolder in my abdomen. I feel like someone took a baseball bat to my stomach, so the slightest touch feels like a bruise being poked. The pain had gotten so bad, that I told my boyfriend to no longer tickle me.

Here I am now, canceling a dinner, and desiring my bed. The fact that the antibiotics haven't been working, scares me. I had a small hope, that I wouldn't have to get my kidney and etc, checked out.

But I fear, I might, since the abdominal pain has gotten so bad.

I type this comment because as I've suspected, I believe YAZ has played a part in these symptoms. My boyfriend who works in a pharmacy, who recommended I give it a three month try (I wanted to get off at some point, but everyone discouraged), has told me to stop because the drug might be recalled (he got a possibility statement) because so many women have gotten sick and of misguided information. I sit here mad, because I feel many doctors, especially mine, did not consult in patients properly and probably have have gotten money for prescribing it.

I was never even asked about my history with ovarian cysts, and when I stated it, the doctor never replied back.

This was the first birth control I ever tried, and I am so turned off at this point, it will be my last.

I'm 20 yeas old. I started taking YAZ in Early October.

The first day, I had the symptoms described on the box. I felt confidant in it, because the first day was spot on. Little did I know...

As weeks went on, I started to lose hair. My skin which was supposed to clear up, actually got worse. Instead of getting acne just on the left side of my forehead, I got it on my cheeks, chin, and nose.

I have been the definition of lethargic and depression. Like many, I cried on & off in the the first month. Once, during sex, embarrassingly enough. Prior, I was someone more emotionally stable than my boyfriend.

As I continued taking the drug, swelling down below had taken place. I was at a loss for words, and confided in my mother. It was so uncomfortable and painful, I didn't even want to attempt sex for my boyfriend's sake anymore (I lost my sex drive earlier). I searched the web and hoped it was a urinary tract infection or yeast infection. But I had one symptom, out of both of those. The urge to pee 24/7.

A couple days ago, I saw my doctor and told him about everything. Extreme abdominal pain, being one of them. I was hoping he'd say confidently "You have a UTI" but instead he seemed baffled and prescribed me Cipro (not the first recommended drug for a UTI) and started talking about my kidney if I don't feel better in 7 days.

Not to mention when they tested my urine, they said it was cloudy, almost as if I had my period. I was asked twice, and replied no. The last time I had any bleeding, is when I bled and spotted heavily for two weeks in October. So much, I went through two boxes of a box & a half of tampons. And a half of pack, of pads.

I've gotten weight gain, and eat less than ever.

My body aches, I'm tired, and I feel like I'm carrying a bolder in my abdomen. I feel like someone took a baseball bat to my stomach, so the slightest touch feels like a bruise being poked. The pain had gotten so bad, that I told my boyfriend to no longer tickle me.

Here I am now, canceling a dinner, and desiring my bed. The fact that the antibiotics haven't been working, scares me. I had a small hope, that I wouldn't have to get my kidney and etc, checked out.

But I fear, I might, since the abdominal pain has gotten so bad.

I type this comment because as I've suspected, I believe YAZ has played a part in these symptoms. My boyfriend who works in a pharmacy, who recommended I give it a three month try (I wanted to get off at some point, but everyone discouraged), has told me to stop because the drug might be recalled (he got a possibility statement) because so many women have gotten sick. I sit here mad, because I feel many doctors, especially mine, did not consult in patients properly and probably have have gotten money for prescribing it.

I was never even asked about my history with ovarian cysts, and when I stated it, the doctor never replied back.

This was the first birth control I ever tried, and I am so turned off at this point, it will be my last.

I started taking Yaz 5 years ago in order to regulate my periods. At that time, I was 41 years old, and had a tubal ligation in 1994. I started to have periods that were not ending, and Yaz seemed to be the one that worked. The first thing that my husband noticed was that my libido was gone. I always had low blood pressure, but I found my blood pressure was spiking. I also experienced numerous "senior moments", dizzy spells,etc...After seeing the legal advertisments, and my husbands fear that our marriage was in trouble, I decided to stop taking it. Yesterday, I got my first "real period" in many years, and I have cramps that are about as bad as labor pains. I suspected that this would happen. Other than that, I am feeling pretty good. During the time I was on Yaz I was treated for acne (with accutane) and most recently had a colonoscopy because I was experiencing chronic diharrea. I am happy to say that I am not experiencing either of those since I stopped the Yaz. After reading many of your posts, I suppose I am lucky to be okay!

I am having trouble even after being off Yaz for two months. I took it for a total of four months, and felt like poison was pulsating throughout my body. I was weak, always tired, had severe migraines (never suffered from them before), insomnia, and my hair was falling out in clumps. I also felt severely depressed and was suicidal. My hair is still falling out, I have uncontrollable anxiety attacks, swing between mania and a deep depression, and am on edge. I also have dizzy spells and a strange pressure in my neck, and I feel like my head is going to pop off. Maybe high blood pressure? I am miserable. Does anyone know how long it takes for your body to adjust? Or is this permanent? I can't live like this.

I've been on Yaz for 3 years now and I'm thinking of stopping for good. The main reason I used Yaz was for birth control.

I have experienced the following
-decreased sex drive
-weight gain
-depression
-trouble sleeping
-Moodswings (almost to a point where I'm manic depressive)

I have recently started making some lifestyle changes-moving to healthier options..I think about everything I'm doing and how I'm still on Yaz and it just doesn't add up-I can eat veggies, exercise etc but if I'm at risk for blood clot/cancer later on what the hell am I doing?! I mean fine, granted no matter how healthy I am something is bound to happen- I accept those are things I cann't control but if I can help it and not use Yaz then I should cut that out.

The weight gain is something I learned to accept overtime but the depression/trouble sleeping hasn't left me.

I started taking Melatonin daily to help with the trouble sleeping only to find out that that adds to depression too! Worst so far are the moodswings. Yaz just doesn't cut it for me.

When I first started taking Yaz, I thought it was a miracle drug...I swore by it! Then probably 5 months later my scalp started itching like crazy and I noticed that every time I took a shower the drain would be clogged with hair a couple weeks later I was scared to even brush my hair because so much would come out. I was looking on the internet trying to find the answer when I ran across a site where tons of women were claiming to have hair loss as a result of Yaz. I quit taking it and seen the dr. and about 3 months later my hair finally quit falling out. a few months ago, almost a year later, I started having anxiety attacks and severe depression. I couldn't eat, didn't sleep for days...seriously, days, had night sweats and nightmares.I thought I was going crazy and was dying! I broke up with my boyfriend of two years, almost lost my job, and was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to care for my two small boys for fear that I was about to go off of the deep end. The dr suggested that I start talking to a therapist and after trying tons of depression meds put me on zoloft, wich seems to be helping. The thing that I couldn't understand was that I've never been like this, I'm not a sad person, there is nothing in my life that would make me want to talk to a therapist, I am always the one who sees the glass as half full and singing about how wonderful life is...THIS CAME OUT OF NOWHERE! Now, after taking zoloft for a couple of months, I am starting to feel somewhat like myself again. The dr. said that my depression and anxiety were caused by a hormone imbalance...I'm starting to wonder if this is another horrible side effect of this poison aka Yaz. My little sister was on this and I made her go get switched to another pill. Women, please there are safer ways to control your bad skin and cramps...and if you think you are emotional now, just wait and see what kind of roller coaster you'll be on after taking Yaz!

I have been taking Yaz for almost a year, I started it because I was having severe adult acne and none of the medicine that my dermatologist gave me helped. The acne is gone now but since taking the Yaz I have been having some symptoms and never related it to taking Yaz until readiing these posts. The main systoms I am having are abdominal pain and bloating everyday, constant heartburn, no acne but oily skin, headaches and a really aweful tast in my mouth all the time. I haven't had depression but I don't feel the need to be around anyone. I am not sure if the bad taste in my mouth started after starting Yaz I guess because I never thought it would be from birth control but it makes me self-consious, it makes me feel like I might have bad breath. Has anyone else had this problem? I stopped taking Yaz and started the Ortho-tricyclen today some I am really hoping all these symptoms go away soon! Good luck to everyone!

I was on Yaz for several years and swiched to Yazmin 2 months ago because of the possibility of blood clots. I am 43 years old. After being on Yazmin for 2 months, I decided to stop taking the pill because I was experiencing drenching night sweats. I have been off the Yazmin for 2 weeks. My symptoms are horrible:
1. Wicked sore breasts and nipples - I have to wear a bra at night.
2. Very, very tired
3. My uterus hurts with every step I take. It hurts to cough.
4. I have come close to getting into several car accidents from the fogginess I feel. Today I hit a sign and tore the side mirror and running board off of my husband's Ford King Ranch truck today. I felt so bad...
5. Did I mention tired?
6. Bloating, gas and abdominal pain
7. The urge to pee often. I am up twice per night with painful urges to pee.
8. Trouble sleeping at night, but no problem during the day.

I have found two things that have helped me as of yet. One is Flaxseed Oil. Within a few hours, my body expelled everything that was in my colon and the bloating has subsided.
I also practice Bikram Yoga (that is the "Hot Yoga") and I had not gone in 2 weeks because I felt so bad. Last night I dragged myself there and I swear - my symptoms were 80% relieved when I got home. I was afraid to to some poses because of the pain in my uterus and breasts, but with the sweat and heat and stretching, it truly helped.

Yaz and Yazmin are very toxic to our bodies. I didn't realize just how toxic until I went off of them. The worse the detox, the worse the drug.

I have been on Yaz for nearly a year and a half. I, like so many of you, wish so badly I had thought to research Yaz thoroughly before beginning. A few weeks into it, I felt so emotionally high-strung and very often, bordering on the edges of 'crazy.' I've always been an emotional person, but this was different. I felt like I couldn't pull myself together, my stomach felt upset all the time, I couldn't stop crying, and the ANGER..! The doctor had warned me that this could last a month or two while my body adjusted. I had no reason to doubt the truth of this, so I didn't think anything of it when the symptoms didn't just "go away." after a few months of feeling crazy every day, it begins to feel more and more... normal. irrational reactions, extreme mood swings, dehabilitating anxiety and depression... a few months later, i began having awful headaches. at first, they were only around the time of my period -- i actually was almost thankful for them... the one positive aspect of being on yaz has been the reduction of the severity of my cramps... so i thought that i could deal witha headache better than the cramps i used to get... now, however, the headaches are ALL the time.. i go through pain-killers like its nobody's business. i still suffer from extreme, irrational mood swings and anxiety... i can't seem to find the energy to be me... to simply grab lunch with a friend is too daunting a task sometimes. i'm constantly feeling absolutely overwhelmed... the latest symptom i've been experiencing is pain in my stomach. my stomach has been hurting every day for at least a month.. on and off before then... its sometimes painful, sometimes just uncomfortable... i was discussing this witha friend today and she asked if i had seen the lawsuit commercials for yaz - i hadn't... but thought i should look into it. i made an appointment to switch birth control pills next week. and now, i'm so afraid of possible side effects of going OFF the pill... how can yaz and doctors stand behind this?

Yaz has landed me in personal hell.

I started taking it at 18 before going off to college to regulate my mild acne.

The first month or two was fine. But then I started having extremely low self esteem and horrible self consciousness. My acne worsened by a lot. I had an uncontrollable appetite and gained about 8 pounds. I would eat no differently than I did in high school (less, actually) and work out furiously, but the weight wouldn't budge - and it was in the oddest places, like my butt and thighs. I even developed some cellulite.

I experienced increased anxiety and moodiness. I struggled to be the effortless happy, confident, in-control girl I once was. I was on the phone to my parents all the time. I was also quite fatigued. By second semester, I was having anxiety attacks.

Of course, I chalked all this up to difficulty with college. But even then, I should have realized, that is not who I am. That person is just not me. I can handle college just fine. It was yaz that did me in.

So finally over a year later I stopped the pill because I was frustrated over the weight gain and realized I just wasn't myself on it. The weight came off very quickly, which was great.

However, it is now 3 weeks after stopping the pill and the anxiety is crippling. I'm losing my hair and having panic attacks. I'm exhausted. I've had an allergic reaction like a plant allergy on my legs (despite never having any allergies in my life), and I even broke out into hives the other day out of nowhere.

I'm terrified all the time. My heart races. I can't focus. I'm afraid I may have to leave school to heal. I'm taking TONS of vitamins, eating right, drinking loads of water, and sleeping adequately to combat it for now, but I'm just terrified...

I can't wait for it to be 3-6 months from now. I miss the girl I was. I look at other happy, healthy females and envy them for not having to deal with this. I just want my life back. It is so sad to me that I am being held back in so many ways because of this horrible drug.

I think in the end things will go back to normal and I will be more thankful for my life than ever. But for now, I just want to fast forward. Yaz users, please, stop.

Best of luck everyone.

I'm a little surprised to see these types of comments as I have bad allergies and asthma, and a heart defected, but none of the same symptoms posted by so many. But here are the weirdo symptoms I do have that started right after starting YAZ 4 months ago...
1.)I went from a C cup to a D cup (not complaining), with no tenderness.
2.)Constant Yeast Infections, despite giving up dairy and sugar. Even my pharmacist made a comment about it last week when I picked up another prescription for the YI.
3.)Frequent urination. I must use the bathroom 20 times a day.
4.)Hasn't done a thing for my acne
5.)Every time I cut my leg shaving, it bleeds for a good half hour.
6.)My periods have almost stopped.
Because of the Yeast Infections I had already decided to off Yaz.

I was on Yaz for 1 year and nine months. I found this web-site and thank god!! Since I have been on the Yaz I cried all the time. My rage was out of control to the point of scary. I am a emotional person but for the most part happy and upbeat. My personaltiy completely changed. I was so upset all the time. I finally and reluctantly went to the doctor to get anti-depressants because I didn't know what else to do. I felt so lost and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. For a while I thought it was just life.. work was hard, my relationship was in turmoil all the time. I was losing my mind. Then I found this web site. I went off the Yaz that day. I have been off for three weeks and I feel like a new person.

I'm glad I found this website and i will continue to look for more.I started yaz August 1st and within 2 months I started to loss my hair, and have not had my period since. I suffered severe pains in my chest and stopped using the pill. Before starting yaz I never had any of those symptoms.

Today, exactly 2 weeks after having started taking yaz after my doctor recommended it to help with the severe cramping that came with my period every month, I came home after having gone out to eat with my friends and suddenly started crying uncontrollably. I am 16 and my parents were gone this past weekend so I tried to figure out on my own what was making me all teary and depressed. I then remembered that yesterday I started spotting a bit, and I had had some cramping earlier. Last week I had even gone to bed early every night because I was feeling so tired, but the tiredness never went away. I decided to see if it was the yaz, as that's the only new medicine I've been on in a while and the only one related to my period, so I got on my computer and found this site. Well, so much for getting rid of my cramps and longish periods, 'cause I'm never taking that stupid pill again! Hopefully I'll feel better before school tomorrow, 'cause I really don't wanna cry for another 4 hours straight.
Thanks so much for making this site-it's really helpful to know that other people are dealing with this stuff too. I'm just lucky I realized what it was so quickly.

Can someone help me?! My gyno had me try using YAZ for my birthconrtol in May of this year, but I never had PMDD or acne. I never ever had zits or skin issues. About three weeks after I began taking YAZ my face began blistering, it looks almost like acne but it clearly isn't. After three months I stopped using YAZ, but now my skin is damaged forever, I have red irritated skin over the majority of my face as well as the blisters and flakey patches. Has anyone else had this skin problem occur during and after the use of this horrible birth control?!?! I want a pretty complection again. Somebody help me!!

I have been on YAZ for a little over a month - thankfully I will be off of it in about a week. I was feeling very severe headaches, wasn't sure if it was due to caffeine withdrawal or YAZ. I hope that due to being on YAZ for such a short period the side effects won't be as severe or have long term effects.

In regards to adult acne, I was given a prescription for it. I was given a choice between pill or cream, of course I chose the cream. It worked so well. My adult acne is completely gone. I have the occasional break out right before period. The cream just has a higher dosage of the active ingredients in Pro Active - it got rid of the acne!

Hello All Its BreAnna Again! I had wrote a lil over two months ago about how a smack in the face yaz has been to me after being on it for over 3 and ahalf years you can only begin to imagine the S/E I was going through. But now I'm two month Yaz clean and OMG the differnce Anxiety GONE! Mood Swing with normal limits being that I do have hormones and I'm a women. No more heart palpitations.No insomnia. NO N/V. No suicidal thoghts/ depression feelings. Back to Happy go luckly me my soon husband to be dosen't know how to act he said I'm a completely different person but loves me even more for not be psycho and so sickly anymore it was a plus that it wasn't just me! I did go on another bc just a basic double hormone pills that have the natural hormones your body actually produces has helped. The first month coming off is hard hormone levels are that of pregnancy. I suggest even letting someone close to you know whats going on so you can be monitored while going through the detox process. Just incase. I go to my gyno tomorrow for my normal woman physical and to see how everything is going best wishes to all if I can help anyone would be more than happy to. I'm close to finishing nursing school now so I actually do have some medical knowledge that might help. Best wishes to all my Yaz ex takers and for those of you getting off now.
BreAnna

I have to write after reading this, because I have been going crazy the past three months and may now be figuring it all out!!! I was on Yaz for a year and a half and had no issues. In fact, it made my period much more manageable. Then, suddenly, three months ago, I started getting dizzy (lightheaded) everyday... almost passing out and feeling "foggy." Then the pain in my ribs and throat started. I went to the doctor and they said "allergies." I was moving, so I attributed most of this to stress too. When my eyes started aching, my hands/face started tingling, and hot flashes began happening daily, I refused the allergy explanation. My PCP couldn't figure out whether to send me to an ENT or neurologist. So I went to both! The neurologist was awesome. He finally told me, "you are getting silent migraines from the birth control you were on." (I had quit a month before because I was desperate to make it all stop.) He also said if I hadn't quit, he would take me off right away and that it still could take three months or so for my body to regulate. I have been feeling like a hypochondriac for months now and driving my poor boyfriend crazy! I was a healthy, fit 33 year old and hopefully will be again soon! I am still getting dizzy almost daily, but it seems to getting less frequent and less severe and my vision/temp are about back to normal. If you are considering Yaz, don't do it!!!!

I'm 52 and was prescribed Yaz for night sweats/hot flashes. I was on Yaz for 5 months. I have experienced naseau, dizziness, abdominal pains, heart palpatations, leg cramps, etc. Within the last month, I have been to urgent care and the ER for these extreme pains. Blood work, EKGs, xrays all show nothing. My heart is fine. I can only assume Yaz is playing a part in this since I never had these problems before. I quit mid cycle (with drs ok). I'm hoping these side effects go away. Three days off and one brief dizzy spell today. I am following up with a visit to GI Dr. just to make sure, but I really believe Yaz has caused all my problems. I was healthy, no medical issues until I started this pill. I'm hoping that being off the pill will return me to my "old self".

My niece has been on yaz two years for acne. She was in a tremendous amount of pain last week. Severe pain in front and side (of ribcage) and was starting to have painful breathing. Idiot dr gave pain pills and thought it was gallbladder and didn't schedule a ultrasound for another 5 days. She ended up in emergency room and was then admitted to ICU because of massive blood clots in both lungs (also a small portion of the bottom of the lung had died off). She is being given blood thinners and is still in pain DUE TO THE BLOOD CLOTS (even the ER docs were surprised at the amount of blood clots). Last night she had major heart palpitations and was moved to the cardiac floor now and given some med to help slow the heart rate. The dr's at this point believe it to all be attributed to her taking YAZ. As a warning to all women and young girls on this birth control - if you have chest or side pains and difficult or painful brething ... contact your doctor immediately! Due to the amount and serious side effects the FDA needs to remove this medicine from the market. There are too many other birth control pills that have been on the market for years and proven safer than this stupid yaz.

I started taking Yaz January of 09 and went off it in June of 09. This pill completely changed my personality. I am normally a happy, upbeat, confident, easy going and put-together girl. People often would refer to me as being "bubbly". That's not what I ended up being while on this pill.

I've never been one to have PMS or feel down or depressed and wonder if that's the common thread here. When on the pill and for 3 months since I've experienced paranoia, high anxiety, loss of self esteem, digestive issues, weight loss (already too thin), anger, extremely sad, lack of motivation, feelings of having no control, etc. Unfortunately I directed all of these feelings toward my boyfriend causing him to finally give up and leave me about a month ago. I've been off the pill for 3.5 months now and am finally seeing improvements.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the person you love to understand that the pill changed who you are and that you really are the person they thought you were before taking the crazy pill?? I am so frustrated that this thing ended a great relationship with the perfect guy. Help! If anyone has any insight on this PLEASE let me know.

Thanks!

I have been on yaz for about five months now. My doctor perscribed it to me for having mild depression and anxiety, but this pill seems to have only amplified my symptoms. I thought that i was going crazy until i did some research about yaz, and found all of this information. I am going to get off this pill tomorrow, hopefully my side-effects will go away. I have severe mood swings constantly, wake up with anxiety symptoms, have panic attacks, scream, cry at anything that happens (good or bad), and have extreme body pain as well as bloating and constipation. I also from this pill, feel completely non motivated about life, and dull minded. I cannot stand to have conversation with people anymore, which used to be so important to me. I never thought these thins would come from a birth control pill. This pill has taken my life into a downward spiral, and i really want to get out. I feel suicidal, which i have not felt in years. I wake up every day, and have to remind myself why i need to keep going. Honestly, i have absolutely nothing to be depressed about. My life is exactly how i want it to be. I have a great boyfriend, my schooling is completely paid for, i have no debts whatsoever. But due to yaz's side effects i have lost my job, my sanity, and have almost lost my relationship. I believe that it is this pill, and seeing all of these posts only reinforces this idea. I would love to get off of this pill anyway, due to the cost. I truly believe doctors do not take enough time to examine each of their patients and put them on the wrong pill. I really want to find a doctor that will just listen to me.

I was on Yaz for about 2 years or so. I decided to take a break from it and then decided to look up the side effects. I found this site and another one like it. I can't believe I didn't know all the problems I was having could be from this pill.
After reading about all the side effects I decided to get off it completely.

At first when I was on it, I was great. My major adult acne FINALLY went away. No other B.C. pill worked for that. My moods right before my period were so much better.
I had been depressed a lot and this pill seemed to help a great deal.
Then about a year into the pill, I developed major food allergies. I figured out I can't eat anything with soy (or only very small amounts). I had always been lactose intolerant, but now I can hardly eat any milk products at all. Dairy and soy products completely dry me all up. I can't breathe anymore. My eyes are always dry now, especially when I wake up in the morning. And I sleep with a humidifier and the Breathe Right nose strip every night now. My chest is a lot tighter and my upper back hurts a lot now. Not sure if that is related to Yaz or not.
I also have asthma, which was well controlled for years, but now it seems this pill has made me a lot worse.
I also had severe headaches all the time. I thought my head was going to explode. The headaches seem to be getting less frequent now, finally.

I've only been off the pill for just over a month, so I hope things improve.
Thanks for all of you on this site and others I have read.
I think it has saved my life.

Glad to find you all here. Crying all the time. Breakthru bleeding. I feel so mislead. My relationship with my poor boyfriend of 2 years is in extreme danger too. He's really trying too. I love him dearly and would be devastated if I aleinated him enough to break up with me. I'm getting off asap. 3 days left of actives! I'm switching BACK to Yasmin (for me there is a HUGE difference between the 2-I just thought YAZ would be even better, boy was I wrong). Can I just switch now tho? I'm on my period, it's a Sunday. Hmmm, sounds like a lot of people here are confused about how long they should stick it out. Does anyone know?

I was on yaz for years. For the first few months I had no symptoms. Then I started having heart palpatations, techachardia, skipping beats you name it. It was made worse if I had caffeine which I thought was the culprit so I had no caffeine for years. The doc said anxiety. I've never been an anxious person, but they tried to convince me I was! I also had foggy brain and a feeling that someone was squeezing my brain once in a while. Was on a heart monitor twice which of course showed nothing. For those 3 years it never dawned on me that it could be my birth control pill because my docs said it couldn't and I believed them! I've been off it for about 6 months now and the symptoms slowly subsided and are all gone now. I am glad I am not one of those statistics that needs to call the lawsuit hotline!

I've started taking Yaz in May. It makes my boobs extremely sore, i have low back pain like crazy. I don't feel like myself at all. I'm always over thinking things and want to cry for no reason. Sometimes I don't feel like doing anything. I get bad headaches and shake as well. I'm extremely moody. From what I've read I'm guessing its from YAZ and I think I'm going to stop taking it. Most of the time I feel out of it and really sleepy.Recently I just have to desire for sex at all. I thought maybe theres just something wrong with me mentally.Thank god I'm not he only one that feels this way.

Has anyone else heard that the hormones in YAZ are synthetic? I heard this somewhere, can't remember where now, but I'm curious. I have had normal side effects from pills before, tender breasts, sickness...but that's it..This pill has me so messed up, I don't know which way is up half the time.

Oh my gosh!! I was beginning to think I had been going nuts for the past month, constantly crying and snapping, CRAZY mood swings, numbness in my body and restlessness. Hot flashes!! Lack of concentration...PANIC attacks!! Depression, the works!!! I've always been very level, I've had the winter blues before maybe, but I work in the arctic and months without sun can do that to you. This, however, was nuts. I am hoping that someone can give me an idea what to do here. I have been taking the pills for 2.5 months, I have 1.5 weeks left in this pack, should I finish this pack? Or quit now? I am trying to get ahold of my doctor, but I haven't heard back yet. I don't know if it would be best to just cut off the crazy hormones, or finish out the cycle and get onto a new bc...I'm thinking that might keep my crazy level steadier and ween me off??? HELP?!?!?! ADVICE?!?!?

I have stopped YAZ for 2 mos, have taken 2 pregnancy tests so far, had gotten my period twice, now I'm waiting again. I'm neauseous, panicky, and completely on edge. I'm gonna run to the DR. to make sure I'm not pregnant.

WHEN DO THE SYMPTOMS STOP?

I started taking Yaz about nine months ago. I stopped taking it to begin trying for a baby. During the time I took Yaz I had such dizziness that I would run into walls or fall over just by standing up or walking. I would sleep for 15 hours a day with no desire to do anything. Since I have stopped taking Yaz things are much better and my dizziness is completely gone. My twin sister currently takes Yaz and has been depressed and cries almost everyday. After reading this forum, I believe she will stop taking the Yaz and opt for a safer method to control her endometriosis.

Wanted to try Yaz for low estrogen levels and PPMD. Wish I had found this site sooner.. Was taking Yaz for three months when I began to have serious hyperthyroid symptoms.This is what triggered me that something was terribly wrong with me. I asked for a blood test by my PCP and he found my levels to be slightly elevated but not enough to diagnose me with hyperthyroid. My PCP consulted with an endocrinologist and he told my PCP that my levels were elevated by my birth control pills. What was strange is that my hormone and prolactin levels were normal. I finished the pack and now have been off the pill for 6 weeks. A lot of my symptoms went away but new ones also appeared... During the 3 months I was on Yaz, I experienced an intolerance of heat even if it was 60 degrees outside. Always sweating, insomnia, irritability, short temper, angry, dizziness, fatigued even if naps were taken, zero sex drive, hair loss (scalp),always thirsty for water,loose stools, having to frequent urinate at night.tremors mid-day, Short/long term memory loss, shortness of breath, severe low back pain.
The only positive thing from Yaz was short menstrual periods.
Since being off the Yaz for 6 wks now, a lot of the symptoms subsided but new one appeared. I am currently still experiencing the intolerance to heat,heavy sweating, irritablity,severe low back pain on occasion, occassional insomnia.
New symptoms I began having are; severe cystic acne in the hormonal area of the face (cheeks, chin, jaw line) Weight gain of 10 pounds (eating habits and diet are the same as when I took the pill)abdominal cramping, heavy period, horrible pms.
I am planning on seeing my PCP again and tell him about this website and the many people on here who have experienced the same and much more serious effects of this horrible drug. Is there anything I can do to speed up the recovery and feel normal again? Is it a waiting game or should I take the vitamins suggested above?Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to put up this website to help people cope with the life altering changes this drug has done to people like me.

So I have been taking Yaz now for about 6 months. I am the happiest most outgoing person you will ever meet. About two weeks ago, my moods suddenly changed. I have severe anxiety, I'm afraid to even go out to eat. I can't even eat anyways because I just end up getting sick. I cry for no reason. My chest on the left side won't stop hurting. My left eye twitches all the time. I have unbearable headaches. My heart feels like its beating 200 mph. And my temper is out of control. I'm going to the doctor right away to change birth controls, I just hope this doesn't last for me as it did for some of you.

I've read many similar stories with bad experiences, so I've been VERY AFRAID of starting Yaz. I was prepared for the worst. But, I had terrible skin, definitely hormonal - so I was desperate. I would have painful and consistent breakouts all around my jawline, which usually is a sign that it's hormonal. I'm on the first week of the second pack, and haven't noticed any side effects, however - my skin has started clearing up! I don't know how long this will last or if I just jinxed myself, but I just thought I'd throw in a positive comment. If things go downhill, I'll report back!

I began taking YAZ in March 2009 for 2 months. I had only mental symptoms of crying for no reason and feeling out of my own body. I started on a new pill (Lo estrin)immediately and since then have had severe heart palpitations. Along with episodes of racing heart beats/high blood pressure, feeling like I would pass out, dizzy and fatigued. I was on that pill for 4 months and have been off all birth control for 2 months but have more severe episodes of heart racing. I can barely function at college with heart beats up to 200 per minute at times. I'm not sure if the YAZ or other BC pill caused this but it was definately the pill. I have never taken the pill up until YAZ and now I fear for my health/life since doctor's can't seem to figure out the problem. All my labs are normal as well as EKG. I see alot of people asking when the symptoms stop. Does anyone know? Do they ever?

I also took Yaz. I felt extream depression. My relationship with my boyfriend was in great danger. I have been off Yaz for about 4mths now. And I am still suffering some symptoms of depressions. I was woundering how long it takes for these symptoms to go away?

I started on Yaz two weeks ago. I am 45 years old. I had gone off my regular birth control well over a year ago after being on it for many years. When I went off that pill, I was having some issues and changes in hormones but not like this.

Since less than a week into using Yaz, I have had severe anxiety, uncontrollable crying and depression (I'm NEVER depressed), wanting to sleep the day away but can't, panicky over nothing, nervousness, biting my nails for the first time since I was a teen, irritable, picking fights, slight nausea, eye twitching, more weight loss, fear of being alone or with people, heart palpitations, knowing things are fine but uncontrolled in making them not fine - in other words, making huge mountains out of molehills.

The only good stuff: better skin, less facial hair growth. Not enough to keep me on it. I emailed my doc today and won't be going back on Yaz! Why is it that they haven't invented a birth control pill for men? Do we have to continue to suffer through more than we already do while they think we are lunatics???? Ah, such is life. Yaz=crazy!!

The birth control pill. Yaz, has been linked to life-threatening side effects such as strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks. Since 2004, at least 50 deaths have been reported in women taking Yaz and contraceptives made with similar ingredients. There is more information on this disturbing problem at http://www.yaz-may-cause-strokes.com/.

Does YAZ make you sweat alot ? Im not the the best shape nor the worse, but it seems to me the smallest little things make me SWEAT like crazy. The crown on my head will become completly wet. My hair will look like I just came out the Sauna or a shower. A simply stroll in the MALL will make me look like ive been in a 26 mile marathon. I asked the doctor about that and he said he had never heard about it being a symptom.

I began Yaz in July 2008. In October 2008, I began getting severe pain behind my eye. After two weeks, I saw my doctor and he stated that these were not my normal migranes and set my up for an MRI. Two weeks after that, I began getting pain in my left arm and then facial twitching. Then it turned into numbness on the left side of my body, fingers, tongue and arm. I went to ER because I was worried about the symptoms of a stroke. They did a CT scan which came back negative. The MRI came back negative also. So I looked that the side effects of YAZ and all of symptoms that I had were listed. So I quit taking it. The pain eventually faded off. In February, I went in the endometriosis sugery and began a hormone treatment for that. Once again, all the symptoms came back and had to stop the treatment. Now, anytime I have a change in hormones, I get the pain and twitching, as recently as last weekend. The pain behind my eye was so bad that I had to lay down and try to sleep it off. And for the last four days, I had areas of facial numbness and twitching.

I never had any issues before YAZ. I had hormone treatments in 2001, and everything was fine. We want to have a baby, but now I am nervous to get pregnant. What if after 7 months of hormone changes, I end up with a stroke??

already have General Anxiety and panic disorder and on 4th day of YAZ...feeling constantly nervous about everything!!!! Have been controlling this with diet and low level of Paxil. Feel like this has set me back!!!! Hope it is just the pill...stopping it today!!

I am shocked to find so many women feeling the way I do and my doctor said she'd never heard of anger/anxiety/depression as a side effect. Nice job, pharma.

I am throwing the pack in the trash right now, come what may.

I was on YAZ 6 days and wow BC to cause all this crap?. Iam 43 married and 4 wonderful kids. never used birth control since I had my kids but never got pregnant when I did not want to either. I have high anxiety and low grade depression which all started after losing ro the 2 most most important people in my life my parents. anyway with my anxiety I feel as though I am dying of everything and have the symptoms to make me think Iam, taking YAZ caused chest discomfort headaches, extreme anxiety/depression like I need extra. constant crying constant fear. of leaving my children and husband and dying of a deadly disease. extreme tiredness and energy shakes. My husband was getting irritated seeing me this way which increased what anxiety ad depression that already exsists. my kids are scared to leave me when they got to school. now that I stopped them after 6 days, not feelsing as bad but not as good as i want tonow iam spotting but probably cause i did stop it. 6 days and feeling like that. they should not even have it to give out. I feel for you y'all, and the teens that have taken it. am still in fear. but reading all these posts have helped a little than you all and may y'all feel better quick!! Lisa

This is a cautionary true story. My daughter began taking Yaz in Sept. 2008. She had problems with depression around her period and spotting between periods so her doctor put her on Yaz. After starting Yaz, she began having severe depression, anxiety attacks, and severe insomnia with terrible nightmares all the time. Her skin also started breaking out alot more. She started taking some antidepressants and medication for sleep, but nothing seemed to help, so she weaned herself off those medications. Plus in January of 2009, she lost her job due to frequent absences because of her depression, anxiety and total exhaustion. This also meant that she would have no insurance, so she wasn't able to keep her psychiatrist.

In March of 2009, she started having pains in her upper abdominal area and was vomiting alot. We thought she might be having a gallbladder attack. We finally convinced her to let us take her to the emergency clinic. The doctor at the clinic said she was to immediately go to the Emergency Clinic to be checked into the hospital. Her kidneys were failing. We were shocked, to put it mildly. They treated her at the hospital for a week. She came very close to having to go on dialysis. The doctor knew she was on Yaz, but he evidently didn't think that it could have been part of the problem. The doctor said that it was probably from a slight infection in her kidney, plus she had not been drinking enough fluids, and she was taking Aleve for the pain she'd been having. Luckily, they were able to get her kidneys functioning properly again, and she was released from the hospital. Now, I'm wondering if it wasn't partly due to the Yaz because it increases potassium in the body and so does the Aleve. That can cause problems in the organs.

We had no idea that Yaz could cause problems until April of 2009 when I started looking on the internet and saw this forum. I started talking to her about getting off Yaz.

In August of 2009, she stopped taking Yaz and started another BC pill. She seemed to be a little better, and we even had a family vacation in Door County during August. She had a great time. Unfortunately, shortly after we got back from vacation, her period was due again. A few days before her period started, she started getting depressed. We had no idea how depressed she was getting though. She committed suicide a few days later. Now, we're left with the feeling that we should have done more for her. We had tried so hard to help her, but it was never enough. I can't even imagine what emotional pain she was in to take her own life

We don't know for sure if the Yaz was still in her system since she had only been off it for a month and if it contributed to her suicide. I'm just saying that I had never seen so depressed until she started taking Yaz. Please think carefully before taking this birth control pill. It's not worth it! I wish my daughter never had.

When I began taking Yaz I was feeling pretty good, just got off my anti-depressants two months earlier, began sleeping better again, and felt overall ok having recovered from PTSD and depression/anxiety issues. I was on the Yaz for almost a month but stopped due to everything that was happening. During taking Yaz, I bled very severe with blood clots for most of the month with cramping. I thought 5 days was bad enough of a period. I went downhill in terms of anxiety and depression......even though discontinuing Yaz, my hormones in my body did not balance out and the clinical depression lasted for 4 months with no luck on anti-depressants. I believe I also had adrenal exhaustion very bad. Yaz causes your potassium levels to sky rocket, and if you already have issues relating to adrenals, cortisol.....etc. this can be very dangerous. If you ever suffered from postpartum depression, clinical depression, anxiety, insomnia or hormonal issues, estrogen dominance, be VERY careful in your decision to use Yaz !

I just found this website and many others this week. After seeing an ad for an attorney regarding YAZ I thought I should google since I've been on YAZ since spring of 2007. I feel like a window has been opened on a very DARK place - I have been having severe anxiety attacks - been diagnosed with depression - have cried more in the past 2 years then in my entire life... exhausted, but can never really sleep due to insomnia.. I have been to dr's for thyroid, hormones, blood & urine tests - wanted to leave my family, felt no joy - have been so empty. I had my first anxiety attack in August of 2007 & it only got worse - put on Effexor, then zoloft with xanax for the really bad nights -- now on Cymbalta... Why has no dr put together that YAZ is going hand in hand with these life altering symptoms??? I am so angry to know that for two years I have lost so much of who I was/am - and reading the other posts - so have so many others & we were told this would "help" - and we put it in our bodies everyday, trusting it wouldn't hurt us... I have stopped taking YAZ and hope to see a change for the better - I will be sending letters to my gyn & dr. to hopefully help them to see the connection to prevent someone from this happening to them for so long... I am 41 years old - not sure if age has any factor in this... so much time wasted trying to heal & not knowing that the pill I took every morning was the cause...

Does anyone know how long hair loss will last after stopping Yaz?

I have just started my 3rd pack of pills. In the last year I have been on 3 different types of BC. My doctor suggested I use YAZ for PMDD and anxiety. This past year has been horrible for me. I have had so much anxiety that it has taken over my life. The doctor thinks ever since I stopped breast feeding and began my periods again my hormones have been off..
I think the YAZ is helping but I have headaches all the time,I am always tired and I have a 2.5 year old to take care of.I am dizzy alot and I am in the bathroom more than I'd like to be.
The only thing that has improved is my periods are very light. I don't think I am going to finish my pack. I always use to enjoy life and I don't even want to leave the house or drive. I felt even worse with the nuva ring. All your comments are so helpful, but I am not sure if I should just finish the pack or just stop now. I am only 3 days into the new pack. It cost a fortune!

I originally started taking Yaz because my dermatologist pushed it on me when I decided to go on Accutane. For those of you who don’t know, you have to be on birth control while taking accutane. She lured me in by saying she would give me free samples so I wouldn’t have to pay a co-pay if I went on this particular pill---obviously the makers of Yaz really push it on docs to prescribe it to their patients. I took Yaz for the 6 months I did accutane treatment. I had horrible migranes and blamed it on the accutane - I guess it could have been the accutane, but they continued after so I bet it was from the Yaz. After being on the drug for a 1 and a half, I actually just got off Yaz a few weeks ago because I got on a new insurance plan that wouldn’t cover it. To pay out of pocket this drug is very expensive almost $80 and in this economy I just couldn’t pay cash for it so I had to come off of it. I am home sick today with the worst cramps of my life, horrible diarrhea. I was talking to my aunt about being sick on the phone, and she said I can't believe you are on that pill with all the bad stuff going on with it. I had no idea that there were side effects with Yaz, so I decide to search and found this forum.
It really freaked me out because after reading all of this information you all have put on here, I am realizing that a lot of problems I have been experiencing lately are due to this drug. It just NEVER occurred to me that I was having side effects from Yaz. For the first year or so I thought things were great- very regular or should I say scheduled periods. Over the last year I have noticed an increase in weird heart palpitations and I want to know if that is from the Medicine. I get weird fluttery feelings…..do any of you experience that? Its very bizarre and uncomfortable! And I have bad anxiety.
I wish I would have read this information a long time ago – I would have never got on this drug to start with!

I started taking YAZ October 15th 2008. By November 11th 2008, I was admitted to a hospital for severe vomiting and nausea. I was put on Protonix to help my stomach. Also at that time I had SEVERE muscle cramps in my calves and fatigue that would never go away. I went to a Rhuematologist to undergo tests to find some sort of muscular disease. I had heart palpitations, incredible anxiety and blurred vision. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia bc specialists could NOT find ANY positive test results for any autoimmune diseases. Despite the now five prescriptions I was taking (by May 4th 2009) I felt like I was only getting worse. I have always been athletic: participating in kickboxing and martial arts. But Lately even walking fifteen minutes wore me out. I was told it was depression due to the pain from constant muscle soreness and headaches. The anxiety and heart palpitations were side effects of that depression. My last visit to this doctor was in June 2009 because I caught him texting WHILE I was having an office visit. I was concerned with chest pain, fatigue, and the urge to cry at everything. I went to a new doctor- one I had seen years ago and one that wasn't covered by my insurance. I was at my wits end. I told him I felt like I was dying and not close to who I was a year ago. He looked at my charts and noticed the symptoms started weeks after being on YAZ. He suggested perhaps IT was causing the symptoms. I went as far as having a very expensive BRAIN scan performed because I was convinced the intense, constant headaches and mood changes indicated a brain tumor. I stopped taking YAZ a few weeks ago and I am already feeling a little better. The heart palpitations have decreased along with my unexplainable RAGE. I also stay up much later now and actually do the things I used to enjoy. In November 2009 I will be weened off the antidepressant, which I only started taking a few months ago. Because of this experience I am scared of trusting another birth control. My fiance, who's been beside me through all of this, has also noticed a change in me after discontinuing YAZ. As soon as I get on my feet again, I am going ahead and applying for medical school. I only hope I can get back to the energetic overachiever I was. I turned down a scholarship to get my master's because of my inability to concentrate and intense fatigue. I warn anyone who is taking YAZ to BEWARE.

My daughter has been on yaz for a year now she's16 and was put on yaz because she had a severe heavy menstural flow and now she has marks that look like stretch mark on her but she is still at the same weight she has been which is 128 and now she is getting bruises on her and there's nothing she doing that would be giving her brusing. But as alot of you have been saying she has also the symptoms of all she wants to do is go straight to bed when shen gets home from school,headaches,crs a lot,withdrawn,muschle aches,dry eyes, hairloos, charlie hoarses,nausea from day 1, depressed, irratble for no reason if someone could tell me about these Veins they kinda stand out like a deep scratch and the y just dont look right could you please email me at hydro-sports@hotmail.com plz any news could help. Thanks Linda

I took Yaz for a year and a half with no problem. Then I started getting hives that got so bad I had to be on prednisone. I also got panic attacks so bad I was put on Xanax and had to go to a therapist. I gained about 10 pounds (I have been the same weight for more than 10 years since high school and have been eating the same way, etc.) I was also exhausted all the time, even after sleeping 10 hours a day. I have stopped taking Yaz and some of the weight is coming off, the hives are better, but not completely gone, and I am now losing my hair, by the handfulls! I hope this stops soon. Yaz is awful, and taking it has made me afraid of taking any medications.

On Nov. 14, 2008, I developed a partial blood clot in my left, internal jugular vein (neck). I was required to be in the hospital for 6 days on I.V. blood thinner medication. I was kept on oral blood thinner until April 14, 2009. In June, I had a panel of genetic blood tests and everything came back negative, pointing to the Yaz I had been taking for 6 weeks to be the cause of my blood clot. I'm average weight, under 35 years old, have never smoked, and keep active. I had been on birth control for 8 years before I had my baby in Nov. of 2007 (which was a smooth pregnancy and delivery) so I never thought I would be at risk for a blood clot when the doctor gave me 4 sample packs of Yaz that I started on Oct. 7, 2008, after I stopped breastfeeding my son. Although I'm healthy now, I can never take birth control again and will have to give myself injections of liquid blood thinner when we have another baby. I'm very upset by this and I want the FDA to know that Yaz hurt me.

I just filed a complaint about Yaz using the online form for Med Watch, the government agency for the FDA that takes complaints about products.

Here's the link if she wants to do the same thing:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm

God bless!

I started taking the YAZ pill 3 months ago and have noticed a few side effects that were not listed on the packet or mentioned by my Gyno. At first I thought was normal side effects that would go away once my body adjusted to the pill but after I reading other comments I realized that these are NOT normal.

I have experienced hot flashes, lack of sex drive (I mean NO sex drive)! In addition, anxiety & a feeling of being overwhelmed (anyone who knows me would tell you this is not normal behavior for me), and easily irritated. I was getting ready to start my 4th packet this Sunday, but I have decided that I will no longer be taking YAZ. It's just not worth it!

I was on Yaz for 9 months and recently went off it when I started getting chronic heart palpitations. After 2 months off Yaz, I am still getting palpitations. Anyone know if/when these may stop? I've had a resting EKG and blood work done to assess electrolytes, kidney function, etc., etc., and everything so far has come back normal. Any advice welcome!

I began taking Yaz in Feb 2008 at the recommendation of a gyno. I had asked for a bc I knew worked for me but she pushed this pill on me. It cost 8x what my normal bc costs! I began to have constant recurring UTIs, lost my sex drive, lost 15 pounds on my already thin frame- Doctors had no idea what was wrong and said "maybe you have IBS- we don't really know", had constant cramping diarrhea and vomiting, began to cry every day for no reason (I have NEVER been a tearful person), became extremely depressed to the point of attempting suicide twice, and became sooooo RAGEFUL. I had never known rage until this. Never a person to miss work I began to call out on at least a once a week basis. I lost my job, my sanity, and nearly destroyed my relationship because of this pill. I am happy to say I quit taking it nearly a year ago and have been restored to the sane, happy, hard-working person I was before. Yaz might work for some but I would never recommend it to anyone. Between Dr visits, the cost of the pill and missed work I lost probably $2000. I will never go back.

I've been taking Yaz since November and over the past few months or so I've been an emotional and physical wreck. I would cry nonstop for no reason, fight with my best friend A LOT, and would get extremely overwhelmed over nothing and start having mini anxiety attacks. I never had anxiety attacks before and never needed to constantly tell me myself to calm down or relax...I used to just be able to calm down. Since taking this birth control I have never felt more out of control and crazy in my life and I just stopped taking it yesterday...hopefully there are no permanent side effects because this stuff is nasty.

Wow I so should have done my research a long time ago. I have now been on the pill for three and a half years, you can only imagine how insane its made me. I started yaz because I was having double heavy period every month which sucked and then I had a 8 lb cyst rupture 38 days, I didn't bleed but sat on the toliet while the clots fell i couldn't do anything. Since yaz no problem with that super light periods no cyst have ruptered since (they did all the time before then) No cramps! THats the only thing good I can say about YAZ! I would take it all back to have my sanity and to have never lost it! I was a normal 18 year old within a month of Yaz I noticed a Major change in mood Swings! Within a year a 25 lb weight loss (I'm 5'7 My weight went from 127 to 102 in two weeks!) from vomiting and Diarrhea due to extreme anxiety and panic attacks, papitions so forceful if I lay on my left side at night i fell it throbbing against the bed. The temple headaches I hear ya girls been driving me insane. Lets talk about mood swings First crazy! Then Super Biotch! Then psycho crazy! Then depression! Then out of my mind and off my rocker not me! Now 3 1/2 years later I told my fience just the other day I used to not be like this I don;t know what has happened to me. I was happy laughing then boom out of no where seen a truck go by and wanted to jump out of the vechical infront of it! I have good happy days but then I snap about the smallest things STUPID THINGS! Its Came btw me and my fience alot we've been together for almost 3 yrs so he's only know me a lil off bless his heart and been by my side through it all! Please anyone reading this don't take it. I don't even know if me stop taking it by now will reverse anything. I could go on and on about side effects I experieced oh libido for a while yes after 3 years and 5 months I just now got in back but not my sanity! Anyone who knows of a pill that doesn't make you psycho It would be awesome! I'm a nursing student so I'm constantly evaluating One more thing extreme fatigue can't get out of bed some days get up pee and go back to bed(Slept 14 hours and felt like didnt sleep in weeks)! Or Insomnia for a long time its two in the morning hear now I'm sick with a cold and still wide awake! LIke I said before I could go on and on about how its effected me, don't let it effect you!Thank you so much for this web site! I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders to know its really not me! If anyone has any questions or could direct me toward a better not psycho BC I would be forever greatful! Brebantia@yahoo.com

OH MY FREAKIN GOSH! I just board and looking up Yaz was seening just the info on it wish I would have before I started! I started taking yaz at 18 for Ovarian Cyst I'm now 21 my periods are awesome but like two weeks to a month after starting the pill I noticed serious hormone changes. A year into the pill I had developed anxiety so bad I lost 25 pounds in two week from starting college back and later lead to me falling a class sat out a year thought I was just normal freaking out too stressed get my shit together try it again, not anxiety to the point I puke put I can't stand to go shoppin and CAN NOT go in to a grociery store! I Broke down just wednesday and started crying then got out of the car told my fience to leave me there I just wanted to walk home with was 20 miles away even thought about running into the road and letting the bigs trucks hit me as they drove my I could just run out there! I mean really I'm a happy person but I';ve thought what the heck has happened to me in the past few years that caused me to go insane! OMG YAZ! Thank you so much for making this site cause I really thought I had just lost my mind your hormones always make you that crazy or I had simply fell off my rocker! I'm talking to the doctor tommorrow any suggestions for a new BC?

It's really sad to read all these comments, but I'm glad they're here because it makes me feel less alone in my own experiences. I was on yaz for 6 months and in the last few months experienced increased anxiety, which I sort of wrote off as a symptom of major life changes. The anxiety then was minor compared to what would happen once I stopped the pill. For financial reasons I stopped taking Yaz in February. The anxiety got MUCH worse and I began having panic attacks. Much like many of the other women who have posted here, I felt like I was going crazy. I became depressed because of how negatively this was effecting my life. I really was a happy person before, its so depressing to see what happened to me - its just sad that this had to become a part of my life - but bad things happen to everyone and I try to stay positive. I am just now starting to feel better, although it comes and goes. I just started a therapy program to help with the anxiety, which I really believe is a result of taking this pill. I really hope the mental problems associated with this go away and I can look back on this and say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Just a message for everyone experiencing problems as a result of Yaz : hang in there, you were happy once and you will be again, it will just take some time! good luck to everyone and thank you for your posts.

I started Yaz 7 months ago and have been having all of the classic side effects - headaches, crazy mood swings, nausea, dizziness, etc. Last Sunday I experience my first panic attack! I was almost rushed into the ER because I thought I was having a heart attach. This is the only Rx that I am on so I did some research and here I am. I am thankful that I am not alone and crazy. I am just as scared to get off the Yaz as I am to stay on it. I don't want this feeling to last any longer. Does anxiety med help when you quit Yaz or is there any other suggestions?

I am 19 years old and very healthy, and I started taking Yaz about two months ago. Two weeks after I started on the pill (July third 2009) I started throwing up and couldn’t go into work because I was so sick. I had almost no appetite and lost 20 pounds very quickly, I am a very small-framed person and the weight loss made me look skeletal. I was losing a lot of sleep because nothing made the pain go away; sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night just to end up vomiting violently for two hours. I was sick for a total of two months and out of work because of the nausea and the vomiting and constant horrible feeling pretty much kept me in bed. Over the course of those two months I went to doctor after doctor after doctor and went through every test any of them could think of. I have always hated needles and throughout the course of my sickness I have been poked many many times, its now to the point that it hurts very bad to have a needle put in my arm. I get hot and nauseous when they are putting it in. I lost all sex drive and I have had bad mood swings and fighting with my boyfriend for no reason, it has put my relation ship on the rocks and put me into a depression. I read all the instructions that came with my Yaz birth control and it didn’t say anything about gallbladder problems being linked. I just recently had my gallbladder removed, August 14th. Today it is August 26th. My symptoms started in July, two weeks after I started taking it. All through June I was on my period, even while taking the Yaz. It wouldn’t let up and I was miserable. I constantly needed care because I would get so weak because I couldn’t even get out of bed some days because I hurt so bad and I wasn’t eating. Money got very tight in my situation between all the doctors co-pays (I have health insurance) and all the meds they had me on and off. I had to be rushed into the emergency room on more than one occasion because i would be so dehydrated and vomiting for and excess of 3 hours straight. I got to the point that I was depressed because no one knew what was wrong with me and all the tests were showing nothing. I now feel much better after I stopped taking the Yaz and had my gallbladder (which was working at 18% capacity. its supposed to be above 35%) removed. I now have weird looking scars on my abdomen and I am still recovering. I am upset that nothing in all the books and paperwork said anything about gallbladder issues. Now that I have gone through the hell of two miserable months I am a little reprehensive about trying something new because if the makers of Yaz didn’t tell us women about the gallbladder issues, who else isn’t telling us about other issues that can be life threatening. I want to know EVERYTHING about the medicines that i put in my body, and I am sure every other sane person does too

I have been taking Yaz for the past year. At first things were great, then everything slowly went down hill this past 6 month or so. Extreme depression (suicidal thoughts), overwhelming despair, weight gain, acne, anxiety like crazy and these headaches are just making my life miserable. The headaches are always on my left side, behind my eye and there are days when they don't subside at all! I can't stand it anymore. For the past 2 weeks I have not taken the Yaz and it occurred to me today that I feel - human again. I'm still sort of irritable and had one of those headaches two days back but today I actually felt HAPPY for the first time in months!!! No more Yaz for me...........

Well, this is the third time I posted here. After reading the most recent comment (by Laurie), I just had to post again and give an update! My story is so incredibly similar to hers! I was on Yaz for about a year and forgot to take it with me on a vacation. I stopped abruptly mid-cycle and practically had a nervous break down with all the works! I was vomiting, shaking uncontrollably, blurry vision, severe anxiety. On the way back from our vacay, I literally thought I was losing my mind and kept telling my husband that something was really wrong with me, that I had never felt this before...I truly wanted to jump out of my skin AND the car I was riding back home in (that was scary). That was the first day and it continued that bad for about 3-4 months. Some things have progressivly gotten better, but the anxiety has stuck with me!!! Before all this happened, I didn't even know what anxiety really was...seriously NEVER experienced it, I'm usually sooo incredibly laid back and HAPPY! Well, it's been close to a year off of Yaz and I'm just not the same and it bothers me sooo badly! I force myself to do things that I would LOVE to do before. My body went through a hormone shock (as my Dr. admitted), and some things just never went back to the way they were. I refuse to take anything for it, I just get more and more used to it everyday...pretty sad! So, I hate to sound negative...some people feel great after quitting Yaz, but unfortunately this horrible pill has done some long term damage too! I always pray for my little Yaz friends! Many blessings to all of you :)

I was on Yaz for 5 months. I used to be a perfectly happy normal mother of 3. Once on Yaz I become 'crazy'. I was an emotional and irrational mess. I became angry and aggressive. I seriously thought I was going insane. Had never had anxiety and all of a sudden I was having panic attacks. I had headaches everyday and popped Tylenol like it was candy. I had feelings of numbness on my left side - thought I was having a stoke. That was the scariest. I also had horrible hair loss. My hair stylist even pointed out at an appointment that I was losing too much hair! When the numbness started happening I went to the doctor. Was told I was fine and healthy. I researched Yaz and was in disbelief of how many other woman were going through the same thing. I was also relieved because I honestly thought I was crazy. I immediately stopped taking Yaz. Over a year later, I still have anxiety and every once in awhile I get numbness and tingling. I have not had any more panic attacks. The hair loss stopped and so did the headaches and the 'rage'. I feel like I lost a part of who I was. I feel like my husband and children suffered along the way because of it and we have all lost out. I feel like Yaz has forever changed me. My doctor tries telling me i have general anxiety disorder. I know in my heart I don't. Although I am doing better, I wonder if I will every truly be the same. It is so wrong to feel this way simply from taking a birth control pill. I thank everyone for sharing their stories. I don't know if anything else would have pulled me through my ordeal. I wish everyone the best -- Good luck and good health to all!

I'm 14 years old and have been on Yaz for 6 months. At first I felt amazing and now I just feel like I'm going down hill. I keep losing focuse and I'm having EXTREME insomnia. I'm not going to bed till 8 am sometimes I don't even sleep. Just the other night it was 3 am and suddenly I was so frustrated I started to cry till about 5 am. I mean like heavy crying. I'm getting a really short temper and I just seem to snap more often. I'm having this annoying little headache in my temples almost constantly. The other day I was cleaning up the house because we were having company come down and I was having this sort of squeezing sensation on my heart and I was slightly disoriented. I don't know what's happening to me. The no sleep thing, ugh I feel like I'm being driven ouut of my own mind. Almost as if I'm losing control over my sleep patterns. I think Yaz is causing all of this and I'm going to talk to my mom about it before it gets worse. I don"t want to be so depressed I'm suicidal.

I was perscribed Yaz for very bad pmt. I took this pill for two days and ended up having to take a vallium on the second day as i was so anxious. This pill was surpossed to help with that but made me worse.I also had Heart palps, High blood pressure, nightmares, Mood swings, Shortness of breath, leg cramps all in only two days!!!! This pill sux!! What waste of $75.00 I wish i didnt believe the hype and had done more research before i got it! I feel sorry for all you women who have been left with permanent effects from it.

I stumbled across this site while looking up info on Yaz. My gynecologist prescribed it for me for PMDD.

I'm glad there are sites like this, because I have questions and concerns. The problem is that all the symptoms everyone is describing I have now while not on the pill. I'm on anti-anxiety meds which work well for the most part. However, the week before my period my anxiety and blood pressure go through the roof... I go back and forth between being suicidal and homicidal. I'll jump down my boyfriend's throat for no reason. I feel... weird.... I can't function at all. I just want to lay in bed till I finally die and it's over. My cramping is horrible and my bleeding is so heavy I actually become anemic. I get migraines so bad I can't see or think straight.

Keep in mind this is all happening while not taking the pill. I'm thinking about this and looking for any kind of advice I can get. I'm wondering if the reason some women are having such a horrible time is because doctors are prescribing it for things other than what is meant for. I don't know.... I just know I can't keep going with things as they are.

I've been taking Yaz for about 3 weeks now and just about two weeks ago I woke up one morning with severe pain in my left eye. I then went to the doctor and was told that I had eyeitis. The doctor told me that this is something internal possibly from medication I've been taking. I also started noticing frequent headaches and migraines. My vision is very blurry and I am seeing floating black dots in both eyes that does not want to go away even when I stopped taking both Yaz and the drops prescribed by my doctor ; it's now affecting my driving and has caused me to miss many days from school. My life is now effected by this drug; I can't even take care of my daughter the way I want to without any help...thanks alot Yaz for making my life a living hell!!!!!

I started taking Yaz about 9 months ago. Since starting Yaz, I have noticed being depressed, can't sleep, am always tired, crying for no reason and extreme hair loss. The hair loss is what concerns me the most. I use to have beautiful thick hair and now I have about 1/2 of the hair I use to have. My hair falls out even when I just run my fingers thru it. Didn't know what the cause of my hair falling out was until I did some research on-line. I've used expensive conditioners and thought it was a lack of vitamins at first. So I started taking a multi-vitamin daily about 5 months ago so I knew that it couldn't be that. The expensive conditioners/shampoos weren't helping either. Nothing helped! I did some research on-line and read other posts about their hair loss problems due to Yaz. Needless to say, this month I went off Yaz. Hopefully this will stop the hair loss. I'm so glad that I found this website. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories. I agree with everyone else, something has to be done so doctor's stop perscribing Yaz!

Hi everyone...this is my 3rd post to the site. The first time was when I realized that I wasn't alone if feeling "crazy". The second, I had been off the pill for a month and felt great. Now, it's about the second month of being off and for the last few weeks, I have felt like my anxiety level has hit an all new high. I constantly have knots in my stomach and feel as if I am going to fall over the edge. Is there anyone out there that has gone off this devil of a pill and still feeling the effects months later? Anyone who is on an anti-anxiety medication and feel like it is not working? Anyone??

Well well well...here we go with the story of my daughter and YAZ birth control. My daughter is 22 years old and has been on YAZ for some time now. She started having heart rates of over 252. She has had a stroke. She has a 1 year old son and is unable to take care of him due to this. She has been sick to her stomach and low and behold they did a pg test and it is poss. I do hope all young and old out there do some research on any medacines that they are prescribed. Good luck to all who have had problems and god bless.

I got Put on Yaz when I was Just 15, for Me it worked Fine. helped with my acne, but after a while i started to notice bad headaches, And very spotty periods.didnt think anything of it. been taking it for 2 years so far,noticed that my headaches seemed to get worse. and sometimes my periods were irragulated. sometimes i had it in the begining of the month or and the end. never at the same time i always had it before i got on the pill. so i got taken off of yaz and went on this other pill. acually did fine for me.No headaches periods were back to normal after the first packet but i was concerned it wasnt strong enough to keep me from getting pregnant with my fiance. so i decided to get back on yaz. well im 18 now. and back on yaz. this july of 2009 I had 2 periods in one. My periods ARE way weird. only last for 2 or 3 days & sometimes heavy sometimes a brownish color. and spotty. well im thinkin maybe its because i just got put back on yaz. cant be sure. But now its july 31st 09 and im noticing my headaces are starting to come back. im fine. no headaces and then 10 mins after i take the pill i get bad migranes. so im possibly going to stop taking it for a couple months to get my period Back on track, and then either gunna start taking it agian Or get on another pill. anyone have any idea what other pills i could get put on. email me at brookehiggy@yahoo.com

ok Lauren, first of all....everyone who has complaints have been taking Yaz over a long period of time like almost a year or so. Just wait for the side effects. I felt great at first too taking the pill. But not i have been taking it for a year and a half and I have been having so many problems including shortness of breath, cheat fullness, stomach problems. It is not a suggested pill to take for an extended amount of time.

I have been on Yaz for about 3 months now. I am a 26 yr old female diagnosed w/high levels of DHEA, "the mother of all hormones". High DHEA causes a HIGH sex drive, hairiness in women, anxiety, and severe mood swings, so my doc prescribed Yaz. 2 birds, 1 stone. All of these things, except the hairiness, have mostly gone away since taking Yaz. I am not as sad and miserable as usual, heart palp's are less frequent, and l'm not angry all the time. If I do get mad, it's easier to snap back. My blood's not always boiling. When my period was coming,the above mentioned were X's 5, plus I would get a few pimples here and there. now I barely even know my period is on it's way. HOWEVER, my sex drive is practically GONE, my man says this morning "it's acting funny, has been for about a month". The pimples have just migrated to my chest and arms, I constantly get bacterial vaginosis, and my period hasn't REALLY come on since pack 1. I get very light spotting for about a day, a strange discharge, foul odor, but no period. For someone who got "wet" w/o almost any effort, no sex drive or at least the dryness, is kinda strange. I also noticed this painful feeling on the inside of my outer vagina lips. When I felt around, I had a large pimple. This is new! No head or puss, just pain. This has happened in different spots same location, but I am positive, it's not an STD. I have also experienced the excrutiating left side headache. I don't feel like partying, or much of anything, especially @work, and my job's pretty easy. I am a night owl by nature. Now I can fall asleep as early as 10:30, but still not want to get up. I'm wondering if this fatigue and all of these other ailments are b/c of Yaz. I never wanted to get outta bed, so I can't blame Yaz for that! lol After reading all of this, I'm thinking I should talk to my doc and go off the pill. I'm healthy (except I smoke bad bad : o ), I exercise.... but I feel 'old'. I don't want to have a stroke or anything crazy like that and bc's + smoking increase blood clots so....

I've just completed my 2nd fully month on YAZ and over the last three weeks I have had headaches like I cannot believe and all on the left side of my head - this weekend the pain has gone to my neck and throat. I haven't felt the crazies like many have but I have noticed I cannot fall asleep at night until sometimes 1 or 2 am - then I'm exhausted when I get up. I'm not taking it any longer now that I have read all these comments - I don't want any worse systoms then I have. I actually was going to call my doctor to see if he would order a CT because I feel like I have a brain tumor with the severe pain I am getting in my head. Thanks for sharing all your experiences! Very helpful for me.

It's terrible that so many are experiencing such terrible side effects however it is comforting to know that I am not the only one! I never thought about my symptoms being caused by YAZ. I have gone to my general physician with complaints of extreme fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, tachycardia, shortness of breath, muscle cramping. He has done a ton of test and never once has he asked me about my BC. I decided to look in to the side effects of YAZ once I saw a "legal" commercial ecoraging people to call who have had strokes, heart attacks or pulmonary (sp?)embolisms. I became a bit concerned and am more so now! I can not believe that the FDA would allow for something like this to be on the market?

My one question is, how long after one stops taking the pill do you start to feel better?

I've been on YAZ for 6 days now and I finally started fact checking. I am so sad to see so many of you harmed physically and mentally by this drug. My symptoms have been extreme tiredness, cloudy thinking like drunkenness, horrible taste in my mouth, extreme thirst, foul vaginal odor, very itchy irritated eyes, daily diarrhea,stomach pains and nausea. I'm quitting YAZ as of right now. Thank you for this forum and the brave gals that told their stories.

Hi everyone. I posted back on June 17th so it's been a little over a month since I have been off Yaz. I must say, it feels SO GOOD to feel normal again! My spirits are back up, no more "attacks" and the sex drive is back. If you think that you are going crazy, you are not! Just get off the Yaz and you will see how much better you will feel.

Just want to say I am thankful to be off this drug. On April 24th I suffered a stroke, no doubt caused by this PILL. I was in perfect health, didn't smoke, exercised regularly, and am only 32. I have had every test possible run and am in perfect health. Luckily no lasting side effects. I am truly blessed. Just questioning how long it takes to really feel normal again? I am 12 weeks off this pill and still experiencing some anxiety, depression, sadness, tiredness, etc. I just want my life back. Any input would be great! Continued blessings to all of you ladies!

Thank you for this site.
I've been on yaz for 8 weeks and,have turned into a crazy psycho.
I'm the most even kieled, mild tempered person there is, and in the last three weeks I've had episodes I'd call "bouts of insanity".
I can live with the side effects of blurred vision,fatigue, abdominal pain, reduced libido and spotting.....-the chasing my husband down the driveway while hammering his car with a sledgehammer (because he didn't want to discuss our personal finances).....not so much. I'm quitting Yaz this instant, and I cannot believe they would legally prescribe a drug that turnes a mother of two small children into a raging maniac...........
I went from being slightly emotional before my period, to an every-other-day-pmdd short tempered maniac whom I don't even recognize. I've probably ruined my marriage of 12 years in a short 8 weeks.

I am sitting in bed crying. Why I do not know. I am miserable all the time I can be around my favorite people out and about and all i wanna do is go home and be alone. My family and friends notice how grumpy I am and moody and they try to avoid me and just leave me alone. My face is clear and I have not gained weight. But the constant fights with my boyfriend and taking a pill same time everyday have got to stop. I am nervous what is going to happen when I stop but I think i have no choice. I cannot remember the last time I was happy. I blow up for no reason and cry for no reason and this is becoming a habit every day every other day. I have the worst emotions and mood swings. I like knowing when I get my period every month and that this is safer since condoms are the worst but I am never a happy person anymore and its ruining relationships. Get off yaz

hello all,
I THNINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT I HAVE HAD A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PILL.
i first want to say that i feel extreme compassion for all of the women who experience such intense and uncomfortable side effects.
unfortunately, like all durgs or substances, i believe how YAZ effects your body depends on where you start from. I am a dancer and have'nt taken the pill for 14 years. i'm 34 and probably 10 times more active than the average woman , for the most of my life. for personal reasons, i decided to try the pill for a few months and like many of you, my doctor enthusiastically suggested YAZ. i am currently on my second month. the first month, the only thing that bothered me was bleeding like i had a period from the 2nd week to the middle of the third week. i recognize that the body has an adjustment period, so i did'nt freak out.
now i am into my third week of the second pack and i am bleeding a bit, but much lighter and less bothersome. I occasionally have discomfort in the abdominal area and have to go to the bathroom a bit more often than i would like, but in general the small discomfort from the first month has subsided. i have noticed that i am, in fact not as emotional or impulsive and can calm myself down much quicker than before. i never was diagnosed w/ pmdd or any extreme PMS, but thought it was interesting that i feeel more "emotionally stabalized" since taking the pill. as for my weight, i have'nt gained a pound, actually maybe lost a few and my tits are 1/2 cup fuller, which i LOVE. they are a bit tender most of the time, but its only bothersome when i'm working and partnering in which case i wear 2 bras. I get lots of compliments about my body and tits -- i am thinnner w/ bigger boobs. . .and I, once again am in the dance world so thats a nice thing at my age.
i have experienced slight headaches on the left side of my head, which go away quickly and i am still monitoring the effects hoping that by my third month they diminish.
i realize that there is an adjustment time as the body gets used to the hormones and a few slight side effects are expected. i, however, have not found that they interfere with my life.

as for the fatigue, weight gain, etc., i believe that because i have been so active all of my life, my body is processing the pills easier/ in a different way. unfortunately, esp. in America a lot of young women are inactive and overwieght to begin with and there is also a tendency to ignore how diet effects skin, weight, mood. i think if young women feel especially negative effects from this (or any other pill), they should stop and examine their general health how the foods (fast food, excessive meats (treated w/ hormones), soda, processed snacks etc.) affect their moods and diets regardless of the pill.

BTW. i take the pill at night before i sleep & have not noticed any nausea. i have increased my water intake and take 'Rainbow Light" women's "just once" daily vitamin. as a dancer, i 'excercize'/ am in motion from 2-8 hours a day/ 6 days a week. also, whenever i do feel a slight headache or fatigue and would rather sleep in, i have pushed myself to get up & take class & the headache goes quickly and the rest of the day i am bounding with energy. i have also begun taking "rescue remedy" flower essence drops which are all natural and are wonderful for emotional distress and overall balance.

i will post again in a month as i start my third pack and am hoping that the spotting subsides and i feel even better! good luck to you all and whether you're on this pill or not, please be active, eat well & take care of your bodies! they are our temples!

I am on my second week of month #2 and I just called my doctor to get me off this pill! I am miserable and am stopping it today! I thought I was going crazy but I see I am not alone. Exhaustion, headaches, bloatedness, cramps, heartburn, depression, red bumps on my arms, and anxiety since taking this pill. I am done!

I just started on my second week of Yaz and already noticing some crazy effects. Moodiness and a flat affect are one side to it. I also feel like my head is stuffed with cotton and my vision is funny. I have a constant tremor in my right arm and my chest is tight. I have numb spots throught out my body as well. I feel like I have already gained 5lbs or so. Am not taking any more of this stuff, it's brutal.

I live in Australia, Yaz is new here. I have been on it just over a month, after reading posts on the forum I realise that I must not be imagining the anxiety that I'm experiencing. I thought it was because I hated my job etc. Reading the posts it seems like Yaz has caused anxiety and low moods for lots of users. I have just entered a relationship with a wonderful man, I should be over the moon, but instead I'm not, I'm insecure and sad - this is not my personality at all. From what I can tell, there is a law suit in progress against the manufactuer?

I recently spend upwards of four hundred dollars on doctor visits and two ultrasounds to diagnose my extreme cramping, sweating and depression. My gyno casually mentioned to stop taking YAZ until we figure out what's wrong. I have an appointment with her tomorrow and have been off YAZ for over a week now. I am telling you - I have been informed I have a "retrofluxed uterus" (it's facing backwards, 20% of women have this or other uterus locational "issues") and I thought it was because of that. But no, I feel a million times better. My sex drive is slowly returning (my boyfriend had moved out due to all my drama the past three months), and I'm happier and better rested. Please please PLEASE get off this drug. It's too new to have known what was truly going to happen to us girls. Now everyone is coming out the woodwork complaining and I hope someone sues YAZ's ass off.

Thank you ladies for posting your concerns and I hope everyone is back to normal soon. After reading your comments I'm now relieved to know I'm not alone.

I've been on the pill for a little under 2 months and feel like I've gone crazy. A normally happy go lucky girl, now experiencing suicidal thoughts. I cry every day and just want to curl up into a ball. I was so scared thinking I've lost my mind. Now I know it's Yaz. I'm going to go off it. I have one wk left of the pill. What do I do? I'm afraid to stop cold turkey, I don't think I can handle anymore unstable feelings.

My daughter started taking this pill about 2 months ago and I have noticed a huge difference in her personality. She seems short tempered, can't sleep at night, has anxiety, cries, and just seems like a different person. I have been so concerned about her and wondered if it was related to this yaz. Thank you for creating this forum! I can't believe all of these problems!

I've been on Yaz for 4 years. I was previously on Yasmin but gained too much water weight which made me uncomfortable. I also had a lot of spotting and breakthrough bleeding. I first got on Yaz when I was about 17. About 6 months in, I gained 20lbs! I played Varsity soccer in high school and I never gained weight. For about 2 years, this was my only complaint. I did have frequent headaches with a migraine about 1 time a month. I'm 21 now, and my grandma recently saw the commercial listing all of the serious side effects. I starting researching what other women have said about this pill, and many women have suffered strokes and blood clots before their 30's! For the past 3-4 years I have been very moody and irritable and I thought that was just who I was. But now I think that this pill has caused this (I have been on the pill for so long, you forget who u are when you aren't on it!). I have recently gone to a gastroenterologist for bad diarrhea, stomach cramping, bloating, and nausea everytime I ate. They did an abdominal ultrasound and said that I had a form of fatty liver. I'm not overweight and I do not drink (2 most common reasons for fatty liver). BCP's are metabolized in the liver that is why if you have liver problems, you cannot take them. I think the fatty liver is from this pill. Also, they said that a blood vessel in my left kidney is partially blocked (Blood Clot?). I never thought that this pill could be the culprit, but now that I've seen so many terrible side effects, I'm wondering if this could be the answer to all my digestive problems. These problems have been going on for about 1 year. Doctors don't know what it is, have ran a lot of tests. All come back normal! What else could be the cause? I eat right, exercise, I'm in a good mental state and motivated (going to medical school soon). I'm getting off in 1 week when the placebos start. I'm also going to see my Gyno to ask for a different brand. Ortho-Novum, Lo-Ovral, and Aviane have seemed to get good reviews. I think it's that Drsp that Yaz uses. No other birth control pill uses this as the progesterone source. Try another pill without this Drsp! Good luck ladies, hope this helped!!

Yeah, so I started Yaz a few days ago and already I'm regretting it. I've been exhausted for days, barely able to get out of bed. If I ever do have energy, it's only in bursts - I've been drinking a Monster every day, like always, except I "come down" from it not even hours later.
I've been feeling like nobody likes me, like I'm not worth their time. Today was the worst - I was panicking over absolutely nothing & I was on the verge of tears all day!
Yeah, I don't wanna wait 3 months for this to get better. Starting today, I'm getting off Yaz...hopefully it's not too late.
Btw, the chest pains are kinda crazy too. Lightheadedness I can deal with, but I can barely breathe sometimes because of the damn chest pains.

I am on my second month of yaz and have decided this is my last pack. I am so miserable that i can't see straight, i ache all over like i have the flu, i now have a face covered with little red bumps. To me this is crazy why are doctors still prescribing this? My husband is actually the one who told to me to get online and check yaz out. I have completely changed my personality and he is extremely worried. Everyone walks on eggshells around me. thank you for showing me that i am not alone or going crazy literally :)

I started yaz exactly 2 weeks ago i have been exsperiencing some insaine side effects. First off i have been so sick just nauseated beyond the norm have had major fatigue issues and worst i am short tempered and very irritable and out of control. My libido is way down and i too am exsperiencing vaginal dryness just after two weeks! I am going to finish this next week for fears of becoming pregnant however i will not refill this presricption...

There must be a class action suit for this. This pill has permantely damaged my life!

Thank you so much for creating this well-needed site. My best friend's coworker advised her to tell me to "Get off Yaz immediately." She had looked up info regarding Yaz side effects, so I decided to search for the side effects as well. My pills ran out and I was too lazy to go get my new pack, and after hearing what my friend's coworker had to say, I realized I may not go back in and get my prescription. I'm a teacher and figured all of my tiredness simply had to do with teaching. I have had basically NO energy, constant migraine headaches (which I never had before), shortness of breath, pain in chest, achiness, hacking cough when I breath too deeply, TOTAL LOSS of interest in sex, dry eyes (always feeling the need to blink), and insomnia off and on. My sex drive has NEVER been this low, and I'm also very dry which causes sex to hurt. This has never been a problem. My mood swings are also not too fun, and I have had a lot of anxiety. Like others have said, I don't even answer my phone. I don't call people back. This is not like me! I rarely want to go anywhere because I'm too tired. I've gained weight and it seems harder to lose weight than usual. I've been off the pill for about 2-3 weeks and I already see a difference. My sex drive is coming back, no more headaches, the chest pains aren't really there, and I'm slowly starting to feel like me again. I have more energy which is great. I don't like feeling like I'm 90 years old (no offense to 90 year olds!) but I'm only 28! :) I was on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen before and didn't have this many problems. I noticed my sex drive fading on Ortho but that may have been because of my own personal issues. This is the reason why my Dr. brought up Yaz because of my sex drive and moodiness. I've actually been on it for about 2 years but always thought these symptoms were just because of my new job and all the stress. This year has been the worst and once my friend threw that news at me, I finally put it all together. Thank goodness! I have also had tons of allergy problems and sinus infections that I never had before. I wonder if Yaz is the culprit? Either way, I am convinced and it is all because of this site and all of you wonderful women out there. Thank you so much and I really wish all the best for all of you. I hope the pain and heartache goes away! Thanks again.

Kiz-I took Seasonique for a long time and didn't have the emotional side effects that I had with Yaz. It was great only having four periods a year with it. The only thing I didn't like about Yaz was that I didn't have much of a libido with it, but so far I haven't found a pill that doesn't cause a loss of libido for me. Hope this helps you.

im reading all these horror stories and wondering omg why am i taking this pill..however im going into month 2 and my face is clear!!!i suffered from bed ppmd crying and depressed a week before my period..but not anymore..just a little emotional on my period days..but my whole body aches and thats new i am very tired...some nights not sleeping at all others cant wake up in the morning..im hott..all the time..my urine is dark and smells strong..so what to do? weigh out the good and bad...take some sleeping pills?drink more water do i take meds for pain?or leave yaz behind and go back to a period every 21 days with endless pimples and tears?

I had been taking Yaz for almost 3 years when the combination of negative side effects became too severe for me to handle. The first were frequent headaches, weight gain and swelling in my feet. Then came sky high blood pressure and blurry vision and almost constant yeast infections.

I have been prescribed Yaz after taking quite a number of other pills. I have this problem that I cant quite figue out and the many drs that i have been to don't seem to want to help. I would love to hear of anyone will similar symptoms and how they manage.
I seem to have very low homones which is why i am being prescribed Yaz as a low dose pill. But i have been on one or 2 low dose pills, plus other more streamline pills, and they all seem to send me crazy with mood swings etc. It completely changed me as a person and once i stopped the pills it took months and months to get back to my usual self. I am very hesitant on going on any pill and would like to her other girls feedback on this newie Yaz. Please let me know if you have used other pills that you have found effective with minimal side effects (is there even one out there????)

Thanks in advance girls!

Thank you so much starting this site. I have been on Yaz for about one year and I feel like I have been losing my mind. I suffer from severe migraines, eye twitches, insomnia, and horrible mood swings. I feel like I can't go out in public without suffering from severe anxiety. I am always irritable, angry, tired, and sad. I had recently given up on my whole life and dreams for the future because I felt like I couldn't function in the world. I cry all of the time for no reason. My mom said that I was always happy and never used to cry or be sad. I had a co-worker come up to me a few days ago and ask what happened to the girl who was always happy. I am going off of the pills. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories.

My mom had called me this morning and told me she saw a commercial about women suing the yaz company for dangerous things. So i decided to get online and see what the fuss was about. Thats when i came across this website and many others. It all makes sense to me now why im constantly worrying, bloated, sick to my stomach, and an overall psychopath. I hate to stop my birth control, because the thought of using condoms just makes me not want to have sex, but my health comes first. If anybody knows of a birth control that is actually safe, please email me. I would love to know which one to try that doesn't make you suicidal.

First, I'd like to say thank you for starting this website. I began taking Yaz about 6 months ago for PMDD. I was having severe cramping and severe mood swings prior to using Yaz. The medicine has been helpful in relieving those symptoms. However, about two months ago I noticed that my blood pressure was higher than normal (I have always had extremely good BP, around 100/60). Now my blood pressure is up to 160/105. Also, my resting heart rate is usually 105. Doing even just mild exercise gets my heart rate up to 170, and if I try to really work out, it goes up to 200! I am also getting short of breath with miminmal exercise. I have also had an increase in migraines/headaches since starting Yaz. Like many of you, I am tired all the time, and my most recent issue is that I have developed insomnia. I am fortunate that I have not had the severe depression and anxiety that others have had. I just finished my pack of pills last night, and have decided it will be my last one. I hope to see an improvement in my blood pressure, pulse, and energy level by coming off this pill. I'm only 36, and yet I feel sometimes like I'm 80. I am sorry to hear of the pain that many of you are suffering as a result of this pill. Best wishes to everyone.

I have been taking Yaz for a year now. I have also been taking Effexor for axiety for about 3 ears now. About 6 months ago, I started to have strange experiences. Mainly, I would have these "attacks" which I would now clasify as panic or anxiety attacks. I figured that maybe I needed to up the dosage of the Effexor. I didn't really want to, so, I figured that I would wait it out. Well, it has only gotten worse. I have these attacks at least everyday now and it's getting to the point where I hate to be alone. That was NEVER the case with me! My alone time was something that I always looked forward to. I decided to start doing research on the Effexor to see if possibly it was causing these attacks. One website led me to another and I found this one and the light bulb went on. Not only have I had these severe panic attacks, I can't stand being alone and the diarhea has been off the wall. My pill pack ran out last week and I don't plan on refilling it. I am going to see my doctor this week. I'm so grateful to all of you women out there who were brave enough to open up and talk about your issues. Otherwise, I really don't know where I would have ended up. I of course don't feel like myself at all, but, I have faith that now knowing the deal, things can only get better.

...everyone has already said it. I'm lucky I'm still alive. Now that I'm off Yaz and reading all the comments I really think that if I didn't kill myself first, Yaz would have. I've experienced it all and not one Doctor mentioned it could have been Yaz....Hmmmmmmm. Good Luck Everyone!

Yaz is a good thing for me:

Ive been on it for 1 month exactly, already my moods are starting to even out, my period has been so light, I can actually wear a tampon which i couldn't for the first 3 days. I am a little sick to my stomach and don't have much of an appetite, but thats better then eating everything in site which is what i normally do during this time.... I get suicidal thoughts when I PMS... i never had any this month...And i don't feel like a cow and my face has stayed clear through my whole PMS .. and this is just month 1... I cant wait to feel the effects once im on it longer.... thanks Gals

Hi, I also had all the crazy mood problems and the spading! I did feel better after I stop for few months,while my hubby was deployed, symptoms came back after I started the pill back and I also got pg while taken it. now Im 2 month pg, I was having periods so the only reason I found out I was pg was because I went to the doc, for a different reason, wen things did not match she gave me a pg test, so it came positive. so watch out, bad symptoms are not the only problem you could have. my baby to come is not a problem but it was not expected! thank you Yaz!

I was on Yaz and suffered a stroke at age30 I am now 32 and disabled from the stroke. The doctors say yaz was the cause

I have been on yaz for 3 months and LOVE love Love it. Previous pills have made me gain weight or made my libido drop, this has done neither of these and I have noticed my moods SOOO much better. Guess it is different for everyone but i am on it as well as my two sisters and we think its the best pill we have taken(my sister lost 5kgs over a 6mts which we have decicded was probably related to the yaz

I just posted about my negative experience with Yaz after only 6 days, but wanted to add one more side effect:
I got a big oily bumb (pimple) on my chin which hasn't happened to me in many years (I'm almost 34). I thought it was supposed to "clear your face"...I didn't really need it for complexion issues, but it definitley did the opposite for me!! AFTER ONLY 6 DAYS!!!!

Today is Sunday and I started taking Yaz last Tuesday - HATE IT!!! I've been nauseated and irritable. It's 12:02am which is proof it's affecting my sleep because I'm usually in bed by 10pm! I also feel like it makes my heart race! I found this forum because I was trying to find out if I could quit cold turkey after taking the pill for only 6 days! I'm so thankful to Shelley for posting last November that she called the OBGYN and the nurse told her she could quit cold turkey after 7 days! Praise God! I'm through with this nasty bcpill!!!

im 17 i have only been on yaz for about a week have noticed a complete diffrence in my mood its crazy. also it makes me have really bad nausea i cant stand it. sometimes its so bad i cant even move i had to stay home from school a day it was so bad. the nausea is always there it wakes me up when i sleep i cant eat the onlything i have eaten in three days is popsicles its the onlything i have been able to keep down. oh and smells are awful it makes me feel even more sick. im so moody yesterday i yelled at my sister because she wanted a popsicle just one and i freaked out at her thats not like me at all i yell at everyone for nothing my friends look at me dfferent. im not sure if this has anything to do with the yaz or not cuz i havent found anything about it but this morning i woke up with half of my left eye swollen shut and it is still this way i dont know what to do about it.

I began taking Yaz in March. My first month was a bit rough. My breasts were very sore and swollen. I felt extremely tired and a bit nauseous as well, but that may have been due to college life haha. A big downfall was a lack of physical arousal. I was barely getting 'wet' even though my drive didn't drop at all. This caused problems with my boyfriend and definitely put a strain on the relationship because he was insecure. Bleeding also lasted a whole month off and on until I got my first period on the pill finally. It came by the third white pill and once it was over everything was great! I was able to be intimate with my boyfriend (amazing) and my breasts were at least a cup size bigger. However, now I'm on the second week of my third pill pack, but mid-cycle bleeding has begun. I even think I may be ovulating?? I was spotting pinkish/brown which turned into a very light bleeding and feel cramps every now and then. Last night I even felt feverish. I read for Yaz breakthrough bleeding is normal, but I'm not sure what this is and I'm nervous thinking about what it could be. Can anyone relate?

I am 17 years old and a victim of the horrible side effects caused by the contraceptive called Yaz. I have been getting terrible night sweats, getting delusional, serious weight gain, migraines, depression, and severe mood swings. I ahve no idea what to do anymore and I would like to be out on a different birth control. Are they all like this, or is there a better birth control pill out there?

Im 16 and i just stopped taking YAZ because its was causing me chest pains, shortness of breathe and nightmares,depression,moodiness,and confussion. What i dont get is why would my doctor put me on medicine like this especially sine i had open heart surgery when i was a baby,this stuff could have actually killed me. I am so glad my mom found this web site. I just want to warn other girls about this. It might effect other girls and it might not but it looks like to me that its doing more bad then good!!!
Jess

First of all, I'd like to say that I am so grateful that someone started this forum. I started Yaz about a month ago and suffered day after day with severe depression. The last two weeks got much worse, to the point I was constantly thinking of killing myself and other people. It was seriously affecting my work and my home life. I started taking Yaz to treat my PCOS after quitting Seasonique because it totally destroyed my sex drive. My gyno told me the Yaz would be better for me. I called my gyno last week to tell her about the severe emotional problems I was having and several hours later her nurse called me back and told me that I just needed to give it a chance for three months and that birth control pills do not cause emotional problems. She said if I was concerned about my emotional problems, I should see my primary healthcare provider. I called my doctor the next day and was glad I did. She told me that birth control pills can cause depression for some people and that I do not need to tolerate it for three months, that there are so many other pills out there. She told me she could tell that I was a totally different person as soon as she entered the room. She told me to quit the Yaz and changed me to Ortho Tri-Cyclen. She also put me on Xanax to help with the anxiety until the Yaz is out of my system. It's been four days since I quit and I have seen a big improvement, though I still am having moments of anxiety of depression. I'm hoping this will go away soon.

If anyone is on this pill get off it now! I have been on it for only 2 months and it almost destroyed my life. It's a growing living hell on this pill that you have no control over. My mood swings are ourtrageos, I lashed out at my boss, my family and my boyfriend has left me because of my uncotrollabe temper. I was depressed, gained 20lbs and I have had enough. I just stopped taking it three days ago and I am starting to see myself again. I feel like suing the company that made this and the Dr. who gave it to me. I wish I read this post before hand.

I can't even describe how happy I was to find this site! I thought that I was absolutely losing it. I have experienced the same symptoms that everyone is describing: MOOD swings, NO sex drive, TERRIBLE headaches, elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, night sweats, unable to focus...pure despair. My husband could not understand how I went from being this happy social butterfly to a sleepy old grouch! I was started on Yaz for Polycystic ovaries. I was told that I have high levels of estrogen and not enough progesterone (but I've never had any bloodwork (?)). I have abnormal bleeding when I stop the pill, but I have decided that I will seek some other form of treatment. I've been off for 2 days and I can tell the biggest difference in my overall personality and feelings. I've actually cooked dinner 2 days straight!!!

My daughter (16) and I (46) were both put on Yaz. I was put on it by my Gynecologist as a means of addressing a fibroid. My daughter was put on it by her endocrinologist due to menstrual syndroms. Initially I felt well, but after about 7 months, I developed severe heart palpitations, shortness of breath and high levels of anxiety. Within two months of my daughters' use, she developed high levels of anxiety to a point where she was telling others that she was going to hurt herself. We brought her to a therapist who at first recommended that she be seen by a psychiatrist as soon as possible. I decided to take us both off of Yaz just to see if that was a factor. BIG Difference. Psychiatric treatment no longer recommended for my daughter and I'm able to cope without feeling as though the world was closing in.

I took Yaz for about 5 months and it has taken a toll on my emotions and overall visual health. During the first couple of months, I felt severely worthless and irritable. I began noticing a small blind spot in my left eye which i chalked up to stress of reading. I got reading glasses and nothing improved. After crying every day for 5 months and having yeast infections a week before each period, i realized my health problems correlated directly to the pill. After coming off of this pill, I still have this blind spot, and my opthamologist explained that the "dip" in the back of my eye is most likely from the Yaz. I am now on anti-anxiety medications and feel like I have changed because of this medication. I am hoping whatever happened to my eye will fix itself in time, but my emotional scars are here for quite a while.

I would never once recommend this pill to anyone. I had been on this pill for 3 months, and 3 months was more than enough to almost ruin my life. My side effects consisted of HORRIBLE mood swings, I'd go from calm to murderous rage in 2 seconds flat. I'd get mad at my boyrfriend for no reason at all and throw things at him and scream constantly at him as well. Which put a damper and stress on our relationship. My outlook on life was complete negativity and I stopped attending my classes and ultimately failed them. So that put me in an even more depressing mood. And I would find myself at times even suicidal. I didnt like who I was becoming or who the pills made me be. I was edgy, anxious, paranoid that everyone was out to get me, and even, dare I say, Psychotic.

I've recently stopped taking it and am now on Seasonique, which so far I feel so much better, happier, more alive, and definately NOT suicidal. Which scares me to even think about that again.

I've been taking Yaz for about a year. I just finished my first year in college, but noticed severe changes in my moods, emotions, and everyday life. I sleep constantly, and never really feel up to doing much. I used to be so active, and now all I do is lay around. I didn't know what to do. I've been seeing a counselor, and now that I've done some research, I know that all my depression and anxiety is a result of Yaz. I've made an appointment to see my gyno, but I was wondering what other birth control worked for ya'll. Any suggestions would be helpful!

I first posted on March 29th. I've been off the pill for 38 days now. I had a cycle on exactly the 28th day. My complete mood and outlook have changed for the better. I started taking B-complex & primrose oil for my menstrual cycle. I had one bad day the week before my cycle otherwise everything is going really well.

I've only been taking Yaz for about 2.5 weeks and I've noticed a COMPLETE change in myself! I'm moody, depressed, I cry about 2-3x a day, feeling worn down, sad, and having crazy moments! Me and my boyfriend argued for the past two weeks.. and I couldn't put my finger on WHY I didn't feel like myself! I did more research and I realized it's this HORRIBLE PILL!!! I went on the pill b/c I heard good things about it, but then my best friend told me half of her face went numb one day!!? I'm throwin' the pack OUT and I'm not finishing it! I refuse to put anything in me that will give me emotional mood swings!

PLEASE READ AND RESPOND.
Thanks for all of your comments. I have been on Yaz for about 5months and have gained about 8 pounds. I work out 5 days a week and eat very healthy. But the weight will just not go anywhere. It has improved my mood I think. I have not taken my anxiety meds as much. Can anyone tell me when exactly those symptoms seem to get worse?? My hubby wants me to stay on it because of the change in my mood and the eliviation of my severe ovulation pains. And I seem to be in a better mood and am actually nicer to my children. Well now that I think about it my temper does seem to be getting worse. Did anyone go through this stage before getting worse?
After reading all of this it looks like things can only get worse?? Can anyone give me more firm timelines?
I have had the night sweats and now have zero sex drive. I have the ache at the base of my neck left side. I had the breast tenderness the first three months but that went away so I thought some of these other symptoms would too. But it looks like things only go down hill.
I am only on it for the ovulation pain and low dose of the hormones. Does anyone have a better idea?
Do you take Chasteberry and Omgegas everyday?

I think I may be very different than most of you because I LOVED my Yaz. It saved me. I have severe PMDD. I was on an FDA recalled (unknown to me) dose of Trinessa before Yaz hit the market and Trinessa messed me up BAD. Yaz made me feel like a new woman, but I am very estrogen sensitive and it was a new low-dose. I have been searching for withdrawal symptoms from Yaz as I have been inadvertently yanked off Yaz due to blood clotting and I found out that I am Factor V Leiden positive. I can no longer take any estrogen and I'm worried how my body will react as I've been on some form of pill for almost 15 years. I only hope things run smoothly for me.

So i'll be going onto my 5th month of yaz and ever since i got my annual check up at the end of march, i've been spotting every single day. I'm also not supposed to get my period until the end of this week and i got it last wednesday!I called my gyno and all she told me was that its normal.... but i dont think its normal and no one is giving me any good advice.

Hi everyone,
I've been searching the internet trying to figure out what's wrong with me, when I just found this forum.
I was on YAZ for 5 months. During the 5th month I got breakthrough bleeding that was dark brown and lasted for about a week. (At that time the doc did an internal sonogram and saw no cysts, and my uterine lining was normal, i.e. did not look like there was an early pregnancy or something like that). I'm assuming the brown blood was old blood that was never released during my other withdrawal bleeds, since I barely had a period at all on YAZ. I prefer to have a normal period so I know everything is *normal*. Anyway, I decided to stop taking YAZ midcycle (right during the breakthrough bleeding - that bleeding stopped about two-three days after stopping the pill.).
Well, I STILL haven't gotten my period. It has been about 3 weeks since I stopped taking the pill. (I had about 6 days of hormone pills left and then of course the 4 placebo pills; two weeks after I should have gotten my period, I still do not have it) Is this normal? It sounds like everyone here is messed up from YAZ.
I also felt extremely tired on YAZ all the time. My doctor didn't believe it was from YAZ though. I also gained over 5 pounds and ever since going OFF YAZ, I have gained a little bit more. While I was on YAZ, I had to get up in the middle of the night several times to *pee* and I have these crampy feelings all the time like I'm going to start my period.
I also have felt very anxious and depressed on YAZ. Ever since I stopped taking YAZ, I have felt very irritable and even more anxious.
I can't tell you how many pregnancy tests i've taken and how many times I've gotten checked at my ob/gyn. I am developing an irrational fear of getting pregnant (I have two dear children already but not ready for a third).

By the way, I say irrational fear, because the last time I had *unprotected sex* I was still on the pill, hadn't missed one pill. (And even then he pulled out way before ejaculating, so the chances even then of anything were low). About 3 days after having sex I started to have breakthrough bleeding which lasted a week. After that last time I haven't had sex at all. So I really shouldn't be pregnant, right? Therefore, I say irrational fear!

When is my period going to come back!!?? I will never go on birth control pills again.

Ladies,
I've thankfully have been off of Yaz for 4 months. (I was on it for two miserable years)I've posted several comments throughout my 'withdrawal/recovery' and let me tell you..there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!
I cannot express how FANTASTIC I feel now. Gone are the tummy aches, unexplained yucky physical and emotional feelings..GONE! The popping in my ears is finally subsiding. I'm normal, healthy, balanced in every other way. I also had myself checked out by the doctor (although I really don't think she REALLY believed my Yaz experience). I had/have a high level of prolactin which I'm lowering..it was caused by Yaz. I also take VITEX (chasteberry) which is just a Godsend supplement for me. It regulates your menstrual cycles FASTER, healing the pituary gland, hormones, PMS, perimenopause....all working together to create balance in your body. It takes about a good three months for it REALLY work..I'm on month 4 and I'm estatic. My periods have been about 27-29 days apart, no heavy bleeding at all, last month I bled for only 2 days with no cravings or drastic mood swings. Excercise, staying away from alot of sugar and surrounding yourself with great friends and family is going to pull you through. I no longer want to hide in my house, decline invites...I'm so happy and I want all you who have suffered that the best thing to do is GET OFF THE PILL!! Be sure to up your intake of Vitamin B (all the B's...super important!) Good luck and God bless.

I started on Yaz one week ago and I have been steadily feeling worse. I am a professional runner and am very in-touch with my body and was driving home from my run today thinking, I feel like I have asthma. Other side effects I have felt is:
-Feeling not like myself at all in general
-Huge body temp. changes in sleep leading to insomnia
-Chest tightness, making it hard to breath, even when not running
-Headaches
-Blurred vision
-Crying, possibly some depressed feelings
-Extremely thirsty, I cannot physically drink enough water to satisfy thirst
-Possible weight loss, don't know how much is water.(6lbs in 4 days)
-Super fatigue!!!! nap with very little recovery.
Thank you for this site, it is very helpful, and will not take this pill again. Hopefully, I have no after pill effects.
Thank you Janet

I posted on March 29th. I have gone thru a series of tests that my family doctor thought I needed all of which came back normal. The doctor put me on Bentyl to help with my stomach problems. It has been 3 wks since I have been off Yaz and everyday I feel better. I feel like someday I might be normal again. Keep your spirits up girls there is a light at the end of the tunnel God Bless.

I literally thought I was the biggest complainer in the world the last couple of weeks. I went off Yaz for financial reasons months ago and then recently started back up. I started feeling like my breasts were 10 lbs each (I am actually very small chested) and couldn't even cross my arms due to the soreness and tenderness. No matter how much/little I slept I felt lethargic all day and needed naps daily as I couldn't function during the day. I became so impatient with my kids that I snapped constantly for no reason. I am a pretty social person but suddenly wanted to stay in, didn't want to go out with others, felt too tired to go out and just wanted to shut out from everything. I couldn't put two and two together, just figured I was going crazy. My dr told me to take Tylenol for my aching chest but basically said deal with it. Then, randomly, I went online and searched Yaz. My jaw dropped as I read each website and each story just like mine. I"m appalled to know no one goes over the risks and side effects. I will never ever ever go back on this pill again. Much further, I don't doubt the damage it could have caused in my family/relationship and it's JUST a pill! Down with the devil pill! Good to hear I was not in fact going crazy though. Thanks everyone!

I began taking Yaz for the first time in September of 2008. I had only taken Yasmin birth control for one month about 2 years before and I had no side effects and assumed it would be the same with Yaz. I took Yaz for approximately 3 months and could not stand the headaches, nausea, tingling feeling in my limbs and racing heart. I stopped taking Yaz mid-cycle and about one month later I began having severe panic attacks and anxiety. My anxiety has increased to extremely irrational fears, feeling like I am out of my mind and I panic about everything. I also have absolutely no interest in sex. Before taking Yaz, I was extremely happy and even said to my husband that I had no worries in the world. That has since changed and my life is a stuggle and complete mess. I went to see a psychiatrist who said that I have an imbalance of hormones and prescribed me an anti-anxiety medication. I have not yet taken it but the irrational fears and sadness for my old life is getting to be too much for my family. I had NEVER experienced any depression, anxiety, fears or anything related in my life until coming off of Yaz. I was a successful professional with a Master's degree and not a care in the world. It is terrible that doctor's do not take into consideration all of our side effects and equate it with Yaz. I wish everyone the best and hope you each keep trying to regain your lives.

Yaz ruined my life. I took it for a year, hopeing my body would "get used" to it, but that was the biggest mistake I have ever made. For the year I took it, I was probably certified crazy. Yea, my boobs got bigger, but so did my waist line and my acne went crazy. LIke many of the women posted on this site, it made me severely depressed and irritable. I would spend countless hours crying by myself in my room and wondering "Why am I so upset?" "Why can't I just be me" I had literally "lost" myself. It has been 8 months since I've been off of it and although my mental state is better, I'm still searching for the part of me that I lost.

The WORST side effect from yaz was my breathing and fluttering heart beat. I would be doing nothing when out of no where my heart would jump really fast and I would lose my breath. I am a runner, okay? I do not get winded after running two miles, well NOT anymore. I used to run half marathons, 15ks, 5ks, and jog every single day. YAZ took that away from me because my lungs and my heart don't allow me to run a mile before I feel like I'm going to die. My heart rate gets extremely high and my breathing is almost impossible.

For so long I thought I was developing some kind of adult asthma. Even my doctor, not my obgyn, said my side effects werent from yaz. I was given an inhaler and I went to an allergist.The funniest thing...I had no allergies. He did all sorts of allergy tests and breathing tests, but with every test I was better than normal.

Then I started weezing and getting shortness of breath from just walking to classes. More recently, even though I am off of YAZ, I find myself weezing in the middle of the night and it wakes me up. I'm struggling to breathe while I'm sleeping, what is that?!?!

I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow and I will fill you all in.
This time, I'm going to bring him evidence of what YAZ has done to women. I know in my heart that there is something seriously wrong with me and it is because of YAZ.

Thank you for starting this website and thank you to everyone who posted their story. I was holding back from challenging my doctor because I felt stupid, but obviously there is nothing to feel stupid about.

I was on yaz for two years at first i thought it was good my ache went away and mood swings then i started feeling different and gaining weight, had blood work done march 2008 my triglycerides were 267 my doctor said to eat better but i already do and work out i only weight 120 now i have belly fat and this year my triglycerides were 300 i feel so tired all the time after reading all this i quit yaz a week ago i feel really dizzy and jittery will that go away

I was on Yaz for nearly a year over a year ago and then stopped taking it because I lost my insurance and was no longer sexually active anyway. I never had any problems that I remember back then. I just got back on it 2 weeks ago. I started the pack on day 1 (of my period). I have had spotting every day since my actual period ended (about 10 days now). I've also been extremely emotional (not really depressed), but irritable and sad and just blamed it on the adjustment to the hormones. It might still be, but I'm not sure it's worth the potential side effects that many of you are suffering.

I just started yaz and have not started my period.Is this normal?

Em and Amy...I had similar symptoms, plus many more than you listed. It is pushing a year and I am finally feeling better - except for small episodes near my period. Find a Dr that will listen and test your hormone levels!!! I have used many different hormone creams,etc as directed by my Dr, along with some anti-anxiety meds (as needed). Don't give up until you get your levels back into a normal range. Also, exercise has really helped me. I think it releases some hormones that help fight the anxious feelings. Best of luck to all of us!

I was on yaz for 13 months and have been off it for about two weeks, i just couldn't take it anymore, it was ruining my life. I never wanted to see anyone, barley left my house unless i absolutly had too. I had terrible mood swings, ranging from deep depression to rage. I still am experienceing anxiety and tightness in my chest, hope this goes away soon. i started experiencing numbness and tingling in my right arm and leg the last two months i was on the pill, this really scared me and my husband told me he wanted me off yaz, he was afraid it would cause a stroke (we had heard of this happening from yaz). I had never experienced any of these symptoms before taking yaz. I know yaz was the cause of all these symptoms.

EM...

if you want, please email me...i'm so in the same situation as you. i've posted here a few other times. i, also, am a newlywed (well, been married a year 1/2). i find it therapuetic to talk to someone that is going through the same thing. some people's experience are different and some are the same...you sound more like me!

anyways, email me if you would like.

ambull29@gmail.com

God Bless!!!

Watch the new yaz commercial, the one thats full of apologies...the lady that announces it has 3 really weird dots on her neck, and you can only see them for a few seconds, the camera stays off them it seems purposely. It is so weird. It has nothing to do with all yall's symptoms, but just wanted others to look.

I'm not sure how to start this out, other than that I'm positive that Yaz was forged in the pit of HELL!!!! I am a newlywed and started taking Yaz right before my wedding. It was the first and last birth control I will ever be on. I was on Yaz for about a month and started having horrible problems. When I reached the 3rd week of the pills, I went over the deep end. Nice, right before you get married! I started having severe anxiety and crazy mood swings. Following this was the nightmare
of frequent panic attacks. I loved spending many of my nights on a bathroom floor waiting to die! I'd writhe around, can't stop moving, can't breathe normally, can't stop shaking, crying, vomiting, so on and so on!!! It's been 6 months since I've been off of Yaz and I am currently on Xanax and Celexa for depression and anxiety. I still have random spats of irrational fear and at least five panic attacks since I've been off of it. I've always been a really happy, life-loving person. I'm now happily married and am beyond blessed. So I should have no reason for having any of these symptoms then and now! I was compelled to post this after reading these other terrible blogs and seeing the new Yaz ad with it's so called "disclaimers." How it suppossedly treats PMDD, more like giving people PMDD! This is a terrible drug that causes you to be on other drugs that you never needed in the first place! I say DOWN WITH YAZ and the IDIOTS that are proclaiming its greatness!!!!!!

I was put on lexapro 10mg and yaz about a month ago. Lexapro was a nightmare and after 3 weeks of horrible anxiety attacks, anger, and many other symptoms I went off and then had severe withdrawal for about 2 weeks. I started the yaz about 3 weeks ago - told to start the Sunday after I started my next period. I have not been on bc since I was 16 and I am now 46. Anyway, I have been bleeding for 3 weeks - the whole time on Yaz. The other day I about passed out driving and assumed it was from the withdrawal to lexapro but now I am not so sure. Yesterday my hand drew up like a cramp but no pain. I could not move my fingers or my hand really - numbness moved up my left arm. I was driving and had to pull over. I rubbed my hand and it finally passed but really freaked me out as I have never had that happen before. After reading this page I am now going off Yaz also! The risks I have read are not worth any possible benefits in my opinion. I did not take a pill last night so that is that! I do smoke and I am 46 - My doctor knows this and I am shocked he prescribed this. He did not check my hormome levels and even told me that he did not think I was going through menapause or that I was perimen. SO I will keep a watch on this site but I am OFF! Thank YOU for posting this website. WE NEED TO BE INFORMED!

I'am sorry for posting this message i've just took a ploit LSD(bycicle drawed..), and realized that all troubles of humanity from lack of Love.
Please love and forgive yourself and your brothers and sisters. We are just on love.
i would ike to recommend you a book which can give good psychological mood-up: [url=http://www.amazon.ca/You-Can-Heal-Your-Life/dp/1561706280]http://www.amazon.ca/You-Can-Heal-Your-Life/dp/1561706280[/url]
Sorry for flooding and offtopic, you can just delete this message, if you've read it, the mission is done...

I am 35 years old and have been taking Yaz for 7 months. I was put on Yaz for ovarian cysts. Since starting yaz I have been sick on and off since December. The last two months I've been having pressure in my chest, neck and back pain all on my right side, moodiness, depression, anxiety,major stomach problems, diarrhea, Loss of sex drive. I stopped taking the pill 3 days ago, I really feel like all my problems are from this pill, I know that I am on my way to a full recovery. I have faith in the Lord that he will get me thru this period in my life.

I have been taking Yaz for 3 months. I just thought I would google Yaz side effects because of all the things I have been experiencing in the last 3 months. Here is a list:
Severe stomach cramps
Diarrhea
Cold sweats at night
Fatique
Rage
Depression
Loss of sex drive
Migraines
A feeling of being out of control
Crying a lot
Acne
Until I read the other posts from this site and others I thought I was going crazy. I am not going to take another pill and I hope I start feeling better soon. This has been one of the worst experiences of my life.

I was on yasmin birthcontrol (same maker as yaz) for 2 and a half years with no problem my doctor asked if I would mind switching to yaz. I agreed and after 2 months started to experience severe migraines. The symptoms always start with spotted vison (the same spots as if you were stairing into a light and then can't see when you look away) followed by nausea, sometimes vomiting, and then severe migraine. I was on the yaz for a total of 6 months. I have been off of it for about 2 months and I am still experiencing the same symptoms. I have to get a MRI on thusday and will update all of you on my results.

I started Yaz almost two months ago to control extreme cramping every month. I didn't have a "period" per say (just a bit of spotting) because of an endometrial ablation I had 5 yrs ago. So far the Yaz has been useless. My pms symptoms now have lasted almost 20 days..low back pain, abdominal aches (that "period feeling", stomach pain, and fatigue and now today spotting again! I feel run down and "over it"! All I want to do is lay down with a heating pad. My GYN told me to stick it out another moth, but I'm thinking NOT. I am not going to be taking my pill toight. Three days of extreme cramping off and on is better than an entire month of feeling horrible!

Hey Just wondering if it takes a while before the attorney contacts you> I called on Tuesday 3-10-09 and have not heard from them. Also it has been 6 days since I have been off the pill and I am doing better. Still forgetting things a little but not as bad and I feel better...no foggy head.

Just to let you all know my sister lost her life to this YAZ. If you are on it and its causing any negative side effects get off quickly and see your doctor. There are already lawsuits popping up all across the country because of this pill.

I was on yasmin and broke out like crazy. I stopped and then my doctor prescribed yaz. I started taking it the beginning of January this year and had been taking it for 2 months. For a month, on and on, i was finding it hard to concentrate and focus, I was thinking irrational thoughts and feeling worried, more than normal, about things. Three and a half weeks ago it got really bad. I was having panic attacks. I couldnt breath, I felt like fainting, Nausea, trembling, really really scared, heart palpatations, and insomia. I had gone to the doctor, she had prescribed lexapro, an anti-depression med. I took it once then threw it all up and was still feeling all the other symptoms. My family and I started researching online about Yaz and found that so many other people had the same symptoms. I stopped taking the pill a week and a half ago. I already feel so much better. At times though i feel my muscles tense up, I have slight pains under my left armpit, side of breast, and i am still find myself worried and scared. Im trying to stay positive and think happy thoughts. Luckily I have my family to support me and reassure me that I am going to be ok. If I have learned anything from this experience, it has been to trust in myself. you are the only one that knows your body. I know in my gut its the yaz pill, even though when I went to my doctor, I didnt get the answer i was hoping for. Of course she wouldnt say that it was the yaz, because shes covering her own ass. I am so grateful for sites like these. It really has eased my mind when i needed it. I am just so angry and frustrated that I even took this pill. I cant wait till its completely out of my system. Please, really think about taking yaz, if prescribed to you!

I've been taking Yaz for only 3 weeks! It's the first birth control I've EVER been on and my Dr. warned me that it may make me a bit irritable. That, however has been an understatement! In 3 weeks, I have:
kicked in a wall (cuz my boyfriend asked if I was going home); had a terrible anxiety attack almost losing my breath like you would in a panic attack; had numerous thoughts of "not being around"; been very isolated; don't feel like doing anything I did prior to 3 weeks ago (i.e. the gym, community activities, hang out in general); nausea in the evening; extreme dizziness; and Most of the time I just feel downright (can't say it any nicer) Bitchy.
I thought it was just me or that I was stressed with finding a new job and my boyfriend relisting in the military.
I was looking up information on Yaz, because i missed a pill, and stumbled upon this very frightening information. Meds in general make me sick