Yasmin

UnPetiteAmie

Ive been experiencing depression/ anxiety for 2 years now. Im not on medication but I have started to attend counselling.
Ive been on the pill for 8 years, mostly microlite but recently yasmin!

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of coming off yasmin while going through depression. I don't want to go completely bananas but I think it could help my mood if I was no longer on the pill.

Sauve

Mod

OP you should always contact your doctor before coming off any medication, they'll be best placed to put you on the right path.

Going to leave it open for now as it could be good to hear other posters' experience with this, but remind everyone not to give out any medical advice thanks.

therealme

I took it for two months & will never take it again.

I'm a happy enough person - 99% of the time....within two weeks of taking it I really felt SO unhappy/depressed/emotional/overreacted etc. I was so bad that a work colleague commented to me one day how "up and down" I was and how bad my moods were. I'm still shocked just how bad I felt while taking it, I have never experienced anything like it.

Once I stopped it, I was back to myself after a few weeks. I have heard lots of people say it does the same with them.

Maybe ask your g.p. could you change to a different type - I tried a few, some were better than others.

Malari

I've been on Yasmin for more than 10 years and it doesn't affect me adversely at all.

Dark Phoenix

me either!

Millicent

I have a history of depression but through a lot of counselling, I'm good now and had been for quite some time before I started on Yasmin. But after taking Yasmin for just a couple of months, I was back in the depths of depression--and teary, irrational, suicidal and highly anxious too. I thought I was losing my marbles until I had the lightbulb moment where I made the connection. Could not believe it might be the Yasmin but spoke to my sister and her reaction to taking it was the same.

I'm not posting this to scare you at all, so please don't take it that way. Just want you to watch out for any adverse effects. And if you think you're already experiencing adverse effects, don't panic. I was back to normal a week after I stopped taking it. Talk to your doctor about it.

UnPetiteAmie

Thanks for all your replies. I spoke to my doc but she said the pill wouldn't be the cause of the depression because I'm on it so long it wouldn't just suddenly cause depression but then when I started counselling my counsellor kind of alluded to the fact that being on the pill for 8 years could play a part.

So when I looked into it I found a lot of people experiencing depression on the pill so I want to come off it though I'm concerned that coming off it might make me even worse.

I'm gonna try it though it could be completely unrelated to the pill but its worth a shot

UnPetiteAmie

Millicent I hope you don't mind me asking but was counselling the only method you used to beat depression? Im very hopeful that ill be able to beat it without any medication i just haven't really heard of many people who didn't take any medication

Millicent

UnPetiteAmie wrote: »

Millicent I hope you don't mind me asking but was counselling the only method you used to beat depression? Im very hopeful that ill be able to beat it without any medication i just haven't really heard of many people who didn't take any medication

I don't mind you asking at all. And if you want to PM me, fire ahead.

I tried medication on a number of occasions but for me, personally, it just papered over some major issues--emotional rather than chemical--that needed to be dealt with that were causing me to be depressed.

The counselling worked better for me, especially cognitive behaviour therapy, because I had learned a lot of ways to view and deal with the world that were unhealthy and causing my misery. I unlearned those behaviours through the cognitive behaviour therapy and replaced them with good ones.

That said, though, every depressed person's depression is personal and what works for some won't work for others. So if you get to the point where you feel you might need medication, don't be disheartened. It's not a failure in any way--just a helping hand. Though I said medication papered over the cracks for me, sometimes I needed *something* to paper over the cracks to keep me going and to give me the strength to fight the depression another day.

And I know others for whom medication is vital to their health. It's just a matter of finding what works best for you.

Millicent

UnPetiteAmie wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. I spoke to my doc but she said the pill wouldn't be the cause of the depression because I'm on it so long it wouldn't just suddenly cause depression but then when I started counselling my counsellor kind of alluded to the fact that being on the pill for 8 years could play a part.

Just copped this--I've been on plenty of different pills without emotional issues, including the Microlite. It was only the Yasmin that caused me to feel like I was going batshit. Can you ask another doctor for a second opinion? How long are you taking the Yasmin for? And have you noticed a change in your mood since you started taking it?

YumCha

Just fyi Yasmin has been in the news a lot recently - due to the large scale settlements Bayer is making: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-31/bayer-s-yasmin-lawsuit-settlements-rise-to-402-6-million.html

I think I've written elsewhere about having very severe depression from the pill - I definitely tried yasmin at some point but I'm not sure if it was the one I was one when I stopped both the pill and my antidepressants at the same time (with doctor's consent of course). I didn't have any side effects - but my depression lifted instantly.

Lia_lia

Yasmin was the first pill I was on, went off it because it messed with my moods! No depression, but I was very irritable all the time.


Logynon is the only one that has ever agreed with me. But everyone is different!

UnPetiteAmie

I've been on Yasmin for about a year. I was on micro lite previously for about 5 years with no probs then I took a break and went back on it that's when I noticed I was depressed so I changed pill to Yasmin but still felt depressed. So I came to the conclusion that I have depression aside from taking the pill.

I just want to come off it to see if it helps at all because I've read a lot of people having anxiety and depression from pill plus I would be worried about te long term affects of the pill in general.

Thanks for all the help, I bought some natural supplements today that are supposed to regulate hormones also so hopefully that'll make the transition of coming off Yasmin easier.

Frito

Check with your GP and/or pharmacist if using natural supplements as some can interact with medication. Definitely let your GP know the supplement you're taking before starting any new meds. Good luck.

meelyb

UnPetiteAmie wrote: »

I've been on Yasmin for about a year. I was on micro lite previously for about 5 years with no probs then I took a break and went back on it that's when I noticed I was depressed so I changed pill to Yasmin but still felt depressed. So I came to the conclusion that I have depression aside from taking the pill.

I just want to come off it to see if it helps at all because I've read a lot of people having anxiety and depression from pill plus I would be worried about te long term affects of the pill in general.

Thanks for all the help, I bought some natural supplements today that are supposed to regulate hormones also so hopefully that'll make the transition of coming off Yasmin easier.

Can i ask where you heard about these natural supplements?In the health shop or your own research? I' just moved to canada so I can't afford to go to the doctor. I brought 12 packets of Yasmin with me from home. I have been on Yasmin over a year- Microlite before that for a little over 8 years. But I started to get very emotional on it. Exactly a week before I was due to have my break I would just snap at the BF for no reason, couldn't stand to be around him. Then a week later when off the pill, I would be all lovey dovey and mad about him. Nuts. I tried to control it as depression runs in my family so I have always had a tendency to get depressed. I put it down to that until the timing pattern of that behaviour started getting stronger and I couldn't ignore it. My GP was no help. So I picked Yasmin myself. My boobs ballooned a cup size, however, I am finding it impossible to shift weight! I think the rest of me has bloated a little with the boob increase and that's it's not really that I have put on weight. I'm slim but it takes too much work on Yasmin for some reason. I am also turning 30 this year so it may be that too ha but I kinda feel like I want to come off the pill altogther at this stage. So for those of you who talked to your GP about coming off it, when does the pill stop protecting you? I have decided, with my boyfriend, that I will try a break from them. However, we slept together with only 4 or 5 pills left in my packet and I am unsure if I am covered as I won't be going back on them. The pamplet always says if you have less than seven pills left if you miss one, continue onto the next pack, or use extra precaution etc. So I have that 7 day rule stuck in my head! Would appreciate you thoughts/personal experience, thanks girls x

Sauve

meelyb wrote: »

However, we slept together with only 4 or 5 pills left in my packet and I am unsure if I am covered as I won't be going back on them. The pamplet always says if you have less than seven pills left if you miss one, continue onto the next pack, or use extra precaution etc. So I have that 7 day rule stuck in my head! Would appreciate you thoughts/personal experience, thanks girls x

Pop into, or phone a local chemist and check it out with a pharmacist is your best option there. Or if possible, contact your gp back home for advice.

goiko

Just so you know girls, it recently came up in the newspapers that Yasmin has been linked to 23 deaths. Here is the link - http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/yaz-and-yasmin-birth-control-pills-linked-to-23-deaths-health-canada-documents-1.1321110

Meangadh

I was on it for a while a few years ago and whilst I wasn't depressed, I definitely found myself more teary and emotional. I didn't like it at all, felt like I wasn't in control of my emotions. I switched to the patch and besides being more convenient, I felt much happier in myself. The thing is about pills, they effect everyone differently-that was just my experience. There are so many different types though that even if the Yasmin wasn't effecting you, it's still worth trying something else just to see how you get on- I'd think that the doctor should let you try something else.

athtrasna

I hated Yasmin. I wasn't happy, like the last poster it wasn't quite depression but it was no fun. Libido went out the window too. Ended up going back on Mercilon, an oldie but a goodie (and a cheapie) - much happier now.

Tiddlypeeps

I tried Yasmin for a couple of months a few years ago, it severely messed with my mood. Crying all the time, getting unreasonably angry over the tiniest things it was horrible. I didn't feel like me, it was the strangest thing I ever felt, it was like I was in the background watching some lunatic live my life for me. Once I copped that it was probably the pill and not just me going out of my mind I went off it straight away. If I remember correctly it only took a couple of weeks to go back to normal.

That was my first and last experience with hormonal birth control. I can't see myself ever trying it again.

ViveLaVie

Question for the ladies who don't take any birth control pill: do you feel safe enough using just condoms during sex?

LadyBetty

I've been on Logynon and Cileste for years, never any problems on them - I was on Yasmin for a while & turned into an irrational headcase. Seriously unbalanced on it, not like my usual self at all, my poor flatmate had a lot to put up with!

I felt so unhappy for no particular reason, figured it must be Yasmin and came off it - and instantly returned to normal. Scary how drastically it affected my mood.

Tiddlypeeps

ViveLaVie wrote: »

Question for the ladies who don't take any birth control pill: do you feel safe enough using just condoms during sex?

As long as a condom is applied correctly the odds of it failing are incredibly small so I feel pretty safe. It should be pretty obvious after the deed is done if a condom has broken too, so there is always the morning after pill if that does happen. I've never needed it tho.

ViveLaVie

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

As long as a condom is applied correctly the odds of it failing are incredibly small so I feel pretty safe. It should be pretty obvious after the deed is done if a condom has broken too, so there is always the morning after pill if that does happen. I've never needed it tho.

I'm in a fairly new relationship and don't want to
take the pill for personal reasons but my friends think I'm bonkers for relying solely on condoms. It's good to know you've had no problems.

fits

ViveLaVie wrote: »

I'm in a fairly new relationship and don't want to
take the pill for personal reasons but my friends think I'm bonkers for relying solely on condoms. It's good to know you've had no problems.

You could get a diaphragm for back up of you are worried.

Flaker

I've been thinking of starting Yasmin as it's supposed to be good for those with acne prone skin (and for birth control also) but I have heard it completely kills your sex drive.

If that's the case it'll be great for birth control as I won't want to sleep with my boyfriend!

Seriously though, has anyone else had this experience/problem??

Tiddlypeeps

Flaker wrote: »

I've been thinking of starting Yasmin as it's supposed to be good for those with acne prone skin (and for birth control also) but I have heard it completely kills your sex drive.

If that's the case it'll be great for birth control as I won't want to sleep with my boyfriend!

Seriously though, has anyone else had this experience/problem??

Like all of the other side effects they only effect a minority of people. I know this thread is full of peoples horror stories but I wouldn't take that as a sample of the norm, since people who had a perfectly normal experience are less likely to comment because it's not as interesting.

It's up to you if you want to try it, there is a possibility that you could experience any number of the possible side effects which includes low libido but nobody will be able to tell you which (if any) side effects you will experience until you try it yourself.

The vast majority of people who do experience side effects claim that they go away within a few weeks after they stop taking the pill. So if you do decide to try it and you don't like it then you can always come off it.

Flaker

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

Like all of the other side effects they only effect a minority of people. I know this thread is full of peoples horror stories but I wouldn't take that as a sample of the norm, since people who had a perfectly normal experience are less likely to comment because it's not as interesting.

It's up to you if you want to try it, there is a possibility that you could experience any number of the possible side effects which includes low libido but nobody will be able to tell you which (if any) side effects you will experience until you try it yourself.

The vast majority of people who do experience side effects claim that they go away within a few weeks after they stop taking the pill. So if you do decide to try it and you don't like it then you can always come off it.

Thanks for the reply. That makes complete sense. And you're right - it's like bad restaurant reviews or customer service, you usually only hear about the bad stuff

athtrasna

As I already posted I totally lost my libido on it. Didn't notice it at first but I was talking to my GP about it when I went for a repeat prescription and she was the one who asked how I felt on my week off...then I realised that at the time of the month most women are least likely to want sex for hygiene reasons...it was actually the only time I felt remotely like it. Came off it immediately and problem fixed.

rannerap

I've been on it for about nine or so years and never had a problem. When I first went on it it made my boobs huge. Like in a short space of time they were noticeably bigger. They've never gone down. It made me a bit queasy for a while too. Although I've never had bad problems I'm going to stop taking it after this pack ends as I've been on it so long I'm starting to worry what side affects it could have

meelyb

Yeah, I think, as with anything you read online or even hear, you have to take others opinions and personal experience as just that- subjective. You don’t read one review, you read them all. It’s all part of the research, gathering information. I guess for me it was just good to know I wasn’t alone in having adverse reactions, however subtle. Okay the bigger boobs part was not so subtle! I am off it now since September or October, and I feel much better physically. Boobs not as swollen. Not bloated feeling - or looking. I just feel lighter though I haven't changed my diet or exercised properly. My jeans are looser round the belly. I don't know about the moods as I am going through a very stressful time anyway (just emmigrated and I don't really like it here). I think after being on the pill since I was 19, I am 30 now, psychologically I just like the idea of not having those hormones. I think the cellulite I got from that year on the yasmin has reduced too. I have been going mad body brushing and using the sauna. I always did this anyway on yasmin but notice a difference only now I am off it. Only using condoms is scary. But I am getting used to it and finding the ones I like. I had to get the morning after pill the first time and I was so annoyed. A month off yasmin only to go and pump more of god knows what back into me! You just have to, ahem, go at a bit more easy.You can always have some fun and make sure you put it on in time if you get my drift. My boyfriend doesn't want a baby but he doesn't want a (more) emotional girlfriend either so it's up to him to play his part too! Oh getting periods now though I do not like. Real cramps! The pill made them so regular and light.That said I have been getting my time of the month the same as my pill off days used to be, friday to wednesday each month pretty much since I came off it so I dont know if they are even 'real' ones yet. The cramps say otherwise though ha. Good luck girls x