HELP! Afraid to switch bc pills-Yasmine

R

RhiannonW

Cathlete
Can any of you ladies share experiences of taking Yasmine?

I'm on Ortho-tricyclen for almost 2 years now(after going through Accutane treatment). It's been working great for me. Lately though I've been having some extreme mood swings, bloating and vaginal dryness. My Ob-gyn wants to switch pills from Ortho-tricyclen to Yasmine. I fear switching will make these symptoms worse and maybe not work as well for my skin.

Would anyone please share any info with me?
Thanks for your time.
 
I've been on Yasmin for a few years now after switching from Ortho Tricycline. I had less side effects with Yasmin (no swollen boobs, no mood swings, lighter periords). It helps with breakouts though not 100%. I am happy with it.

**BUT** bc affects everyone differently. What works for me won't work for the next person or the next person. Try it for a cycle or two and see if the side effect get better.
 
I just started taking Yasmin. I asked my doctor if it was preferable to tri-cyclic pills and he said Yasmin is the one he prescribes the most. Didn't really answer my question, but that's a doctor for ya, I guess.

It's too early to tell how I'll do on it... I'm in the first week... but I have noticed some breast tenderness - not enough to be a bother, though.
 
Think very hard about it. I switched from Ortho Tricyclen to Alesse last year with disastrous results. There wasn't enough estrogen in them and it made me worse, skin breakouts, hair falling out, terrible mood swings. I don't know if Yasmine is the same as Alesse, but if it is, ask lots of questions first. I wish I had!

Lori :)
 
I am peri-menopausal and don't need much estrogen at my age. The only problem I had with Alesse was my skin was breaking out. Alesse actually improved my mood swings and dramatically alleviated all my peri-menopausal symptoms. I experienced no hair loss that I can remember.

I switched to Mircette, another low dose BC pill because my doctor thought the progestin was more skin friendly. She was right and now I'm feeling great!

Everybody's different.
 
I'm on Estrostep Fe which is fine, but a while back I wanted to switch because I'd heard Yasmine contained a diuretic (sp?) and I thought it might help bloating at that TTOM. (I was actually fine with the Est., so I don't know why I switched at all!)

I only took it for a month (it was all I could take) because it left me so unbelievably exhausted. I don't remember any other symptoms--maybe I was sleeping them off. I have many days in my workout log that month that read "too tired to workout" or "had an awful workout--feeling weak", etc. I couldn't believe it!

Anyway, that's my experience. Everyone's different, of course! It's so hard to evaluate other's opinions on BC and translate into how they'll work for you, I think.

Kristy
 
I took Yasmin for over a year. It did reduce my mood swings and water weight but increased my cycle length from 3 days to 7 with heavier flow, cramps etc.
 
I am starting Yasmin too next week. I wanted to go off BC entirely but pregnancy is a risk I just cannot take right now.

One thing I have found after switching so many forms of birth control is that you really cannot ask for others' opinions. Like another poster said, "Everyone is different". This is so true. What happens to one person may be the complete opposite for you. So, regarding BCP I have stopped asking for advice. I now know that Depo was the perfect BC for me, except for the breakouts. But the breakouts are not gone on the pill now, so I am thinking the cystic acne I tend to get on my chin is just hereditary. I know it runs in my family. BC can help it, but last month it was worse than ever and I was on Mircette, but my boobs sure felt better. HA! That is what I mean, you give up one side effect just to get another. That is how it seems with pills atleast.

In retrospect now, I could not have been more symptom FREE with Depo Provera. Not only that, but I also did not have to deal with periods. When I started taking the BCP my body basically went into shock having gone so long without estrogen. Periods were painful and all those nasty estrogen related sife effects were SO horrid. My body is just now starting to get used to estrogen and I have been on some sort of pill since Aug.

Last month my Gyno decided I should try Yasmin, but this is the last time I will change pills. Messing with the whole cycle....stopping a pill for another...can cause its own set of sympoms!!! So really, stick with Yasmin for atleast 3 months if not longer. That is what I am going to do unless I get those incapacitating headaches I got when I first went on the pill. Then I don't know what I am going to do!
Seriously, being on BCP has finally made me realize how evil hormones can be. If I had my way, I would be hormone-less, or atleast estrogen deficient. But that cannot be!:) Bone density suffers without estrogen anyway so I suppose I don't want that either.

I didn't really give you any good advice, just not to pay too much attention to any advice...:)Hope for the best and expect the worst!

Janice
 
Rhiannon...
WOW! You tried Accutane! That is what the dermatologist told me would work for my cysts...basically the ONLY thing....but the birth defect thing scares me silly. Plus, I heard you are zit free but walk around dry as a lizard..everywhere! I read on a website all the side effects and it scared me away for sure! How has it worked for you? Cystic Acne is so mysterious in that it is almost all I get and ONLY on my chin/lower face. I can have one and then at other times I can get six or seven at once causing my whole chin to literally look swollen. It's gross. Something hard like that in your face that is literally as big as a dime or nickel that you can see in the side profile. Uggghhh.....


Janice
 
I've been on Yasmin for a couple years and have been very happy with it. Still am somewhat PMS-y, but improved. My skin also stopped breaking out and I have lighter shorter periods.

Like many have said, every woman responds differently, but I definitely think it is worth a try for a couple months. If it doesn't work have call your doctor and have them call in a different Rx.

Good luck! :)
 
I briefly took Yasmin, and was sooo tired the whole time. I would come home from work and crawl into bed so drowsy and with no energy to workout.
 
Hi Janice. I responded also in picturetrail-wasn't sure if you would get it. I'd never done that before.
Accutane was my acne saviour. I had the exact same acne problems you explained you have. It was like you were writing about me. I put off doing Accutane until I was post breast-feeding.
My derm required me to sign a paper saying I would use 2 forms of birth control while on Accutane. Also, I had to have a pregnancy and blood test every month at my follow up appts. I've been acne FREE for 18 months now. It's wonderful to be able to wash my face without it hurting from the cysts. The dryness was easy to control for me. I used generic Cetaphil for my face and just put lotion on after showers. Mine was unnoticeable.
I'd like to go off birth control pills and see how my hormones do with no interference. I have 2 sample packs to try. Not sure what I'll do yet.
 
Thank you EVERYONE for your experience info.
I appreciate you taking the time.
I'd like to go off birth control altogether to see what my hormones would be like with no interferences. I have 2 sample packs of Yasmin. I don't know what I'll do yet.

Would anyone share their experiences with going off BC altogether?
 
Rhiannon,

Is the reason you are on BC because you are peri-menopausal or for birth control reasons?
 
The most important benefit of going off birth control for me was that I got my sex drive back! I also wasn't so exhausted (remember: birth control works by making your body think you are pregnant, thus being tired, gaining weight, swollen breasts, etc). In general I just felt like my normal self again! I would never go on birth control again. That's just my experience- hope this helps.
 
There are other types of birth control. I had an IUD for years and was very pleased with it. The only drawback I remember was my periods were a little heavier. I never used BC pills until I needed them to control peri-menopausal symptoms.

As far as the tiredness and the sexual side affects. I believe the progestin in the pills causes both of those symptoms.
 
Well, I'm on week two of taking Yasmin. I have to say, I'm having more trouble with these than I've had with other pills I've taken.

I started taking them last Sunday which was also the first day of my period. My periods have been very light and usually only last 3-5 days. Here I am on day eight, and I'm still spotting and cramping.

I talked to my doc's nurse this morning and she said this was pretty much normal and I should give it three months(!) for my body to get adjusted. I've also been a little draggy and have had breast tenderness.

On the other hand, I'm also busting (no pun intended) outta my bra and my sex drive has recovered from the progesterone cream-induced slump, so at least there are some good side effects! :7

Angela
 
I started Yasmin this week too and so far the overall fatigue is remarkable! I would say it was something else, but I have been getting quite a bit of sleep lately and it is still there. Really, there is no other explanation for it! My workouts are really sucking too. Hmmm. Well, guess I should be thankful that there is no breast tenderness yet this time around. Plus, I have been craving stuff I don't normally crave. I wonder if this has to do with the increased estrogen from Mircette to Yasmin. Dunno.

I still totally believe that no hormones is the way to go. I just wish I could go that way without feeling really scared!:)

Janice
 
What a timely thread although ya'll are scaring me. I had to switch BC because I have been having 2 full blown periods per month for over a year. About 2 months ago I took myself off BC totally knowing my physical was coming up. Not only did I stop having 2 a month but it took about 1.5 months for me to have one at all (this is BC free). However I now have acne like a teenager, I PMS'd badly for 2 weeks, and I had really bad cramps this time for 24 hours (usually I only get mild cramps for say 2-4 hours). So no pill is not an option for me, I feel almost worse than I did having the 2 periods per month. Dr. gave me Yasmine which I start on Sunday so I'll come back and post once I have something to report. I hope I don't end up tired I'm already tired most of the time I don't need that. Course I think have 2 periods a month for a year was making me tired...

If it makes you feel better my ob-gyn said Yasmine is what she takes and that it also has a very mild safe diuretic effect so it helps with bloating and weightloss (it at least won't interfere with weightloss).
 
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