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girl talk


I have a question for all of you ladies out there. Has anyone ever tried the birth control Yaz? I’ve been on it for a month now, and I’m not sure I want to keep going. I know they say that side effects usually go away after a few months… but it is making me soooooooooooooo tired. And nauseous. It happened last week at the end of the first pack, then I started my period and everything was fine. Today I started the new pack and I feel like I have the flu or something. I’m hot and my stomach feels weird and even after 10 hours of sleep I feel like I could totally take a 4 hour nap.

I don’t *need* to be on the pill (because I’m uber-paranoid and Dan doesn’t mind, we also use our other old tried-and-true method of condoms, worked for years!) But I thought I’d try it again after taking 4 years off (I had been on Ortho-Tri Cyclen for 5 years before it started bothering me). Plus, an added layer of protection is always nice! But after doing some reading online about some freaky and scary side effects other people have had, and how I’ve been feeling for the past couple weeks, I’m thinking I might forget the whole idea.

I just don’t have time to feel like this!

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23 Comments


  1. Julie

    Aug 13 at 2:05 pm

    Is there a smaller dosage you could take without losing the purpose of the drug. I know when I was ortho-tricyclen, my doctor put me on the low dose. I haven’t used Yaz, but I know with some of the ones that I have been on, they made me really tired and sick too. Good luck finding the answer to your question!



  2. Jen

    Aug 13 at 2:41 pm

    Unfortunately, I think that Yaz *is* the low-dose of Yasmin (at least that’s what a couple of the websites I found said) I think my body is just very anti-birthcontrol pill now that I’m older… it’s strange because in college, I took ortho-tricyclen and didn’t have any problems at all. Then all of a sudden, it started to effect me in weird ways.

    I’m not positive that this is from the pill, but I find it coincidental that I’d have a stomach virus of some sort twice in two weeks…! I feel like crap!!!



  3. Laura

    Aug 13 at 2:42 pm

    I was on Yasmin for months and it caused extreme depression. I was almost suicidal. It shocked me. I did some research and was totally set on never using oral BCPs again. Condoms are good with me!



  4. Jen

    Aug 13 at 2:47 pm

    Laura: That’s the kind of stuff I read today and was like ‘Whoa!’ I haven’t had anything like that, at least not that I’ve noticed (I’ve been a bit stressed-feeling, but I just figured it’s from, you know, being stressed and busy!) It really is scary how much the hormones can effect our moods.

    I’ve never been a huge fan of the idea of artificially controlling my body with hormones or anything else really (I don’t drink much, I don’t even like to take a lot of over-the-counter drugs if I can stand it) So I think I’m with you- condoms are good for me!



  5. janet

    Aug 13 at 4:12 pm

    I’m not a big fan of the Pill myself, so I went and got an IUD and am pretty happy. No fuss, no pills, no hormones, no pharmacies…it’s great.



  6. Jane

    Aug 13 at 4:19 pm

    I went off the pill several years ago after I realized it made me moodier than all get out. My husband agreed once I went off it, I was much more calm. Condoms work for us… although I just saw that Friends episode where Rachel found out she was pregnant… “they’re only 98% effective”… “they should put that on the box!”



  7. Crissy

    Aug 13 at 4:26 pm

    I have not been on Yaz, but I have used Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Levlen 28, Ortho Evra, and the Nuva Ring in the past. All of them started out *OK* but ended up resulting in major side effects including nausea, fatigue, headaches, and just general depression/sadness.

    The ring was the last thing I used, and I loved it for a while, but it kept giving me yeast infections.

    I am VERY cautious too, but, have decided to go off the birth control and just be careful about tracking my fertility and pulling out. I know, I know–pulling out isn’t really a method, but it’s worked for me so far and I know a lot of women who done fine with it. Of course, you have an infant, so I can understand not wanting to take that risk. If I got pregnant by accident right now I’d probably just be really happy.

    I really don’t want to take hormonal BC again, ever. I just got to a point where I feel like it’s screwing with my body and emotions too much, and I feel healthier and happier without it.



  8. Sunshine

    Aug 13 at 4:33 pm

    Yeah, no BCP here either. I tried them for about three months after Isaac was born and they made me crazy. Plus, the idea of taking any hormone long term just sort of freaks me out, you know?



  9. Jen

    Aug 13 at 4:41 pm

    I’m so glad I’m no alone in being freaked out by long-term hormone control! I always feel like I’m weird for thinking that way, but it really does bother me. And I’m not even a big naturalist or anything, but I do feel that I should let my body do it’s thing (and please oh please let that thing NOT be getting pregnant while I have a 4 month old!)

    Crissy: yeah I have some friends who have children who are products of the ‘pull-out’ method ;) heehee But if having a ’surprise’ is something you’re not totally opposed to happening, I say go for it! But yeah, I love Maggie but right now if I got pregnant, I think I would need institutionalized!!

    My question: Why do we girls have to be the ones who always have to deal with the birth control crap?!?!?



  10. Maura

    Aug 13 at 6:50 pm

    I am on NuvaRing and I love it. As I understand it because you are literally in contact with it at all times the dosage is uber low… I gained weight on any BC I was on before, but, frankly, it may not necessarily have been because of the BC.

    While I understand people not wanting to hormone themselves up long term, I figure with the stuff we eat and the stuff in the air, a tiny bit of estrogen/progestin is probably the least of my worries. Another thing that people should keep in mind is in the old (old) days, with low life expectancies and high infant mortality rates, women were basically pregnant all the time! But in this day and age that’s just ludicrous, even though that’s what our bodies were built for.

    Women have to deal with the BC and men have to deal with the condoms…that’s just the way it is. Speaking of which, I always figured one of the perks of being married was no more condoms! Guess not.



  11. Elisha

    Aug 13 at 8:15 pm

    I’m on Depo. It is the only birth control I have ever been on and I’ve been on it since 2000. I haven’t had my period in seven years, no cramps, no bleeding, nothing. I still get an odd craving for chocolate about once a month :) It’s not for everyone, and my doctor reminds me that I shouldn’t even be on it this long, but it works really well and I like being without my period. Not everyone is so lucky though, so I wouldn’t try it unless you’re prepared for a few months of spotting just in case.

    As for oral BC, if it’s not working for you, it’s just not working. You know your limits. If this is already low dose, I’d say it’s time to try something else or stick with condoms. What’s the point of BC if you feel so miserable that you never want to take advantage of it?



  12. Melissa

    Aug 13 at 8:17 pm

    I’ve never been on BC so I can’t offer any experience/advice in that department. We use condoms when we need to, and more importantly we pay attention to my superpredictable cycle, which worked both ways for us–we avoided getting pregnant for 7 years, and then we got pregnant on the first try! Now we’ve made it through Oliver’s first year without any ‘accidents,’ and I’m especially happy about that!!

    I’m glad you posted about this. I’ve thought about trying BC pills like Yaz for clearer skin but I had no idea there could be so many side effects. I think I’d rather just deal with PMS breakouts!



  13. sabrina

    Aug 13 at 9:58 pm

    Because I have Endometriosis, I’ve been on BC of some kind since I was 14. Overwhelming, huh? It’s used to stave off unbearable periods, not pregnancy, but in any case I’ve tried a lot of what’s available. The depo shot was awful in my experience — I gained weight, my appetite increased exponentially, I was moody, and I had NO sex drive. I’ve been on Desogen off and on for years, which you take for three months at a time. But honestly, I don’t advocate birth control at all. It has benefits, but are the side effects really worth those benefits? I’d say get off the pill and don’t look back.



  14. Jamie

    Aug 13 at 10:01 pm

    I started on Loestrin Fe but I had the WORST cramps, irregular spotting. The Dr. moved me up to the 1.5/30 thinking the strength wasn’t high enough. That was even WORSE. I went to Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and that did really good – but didn’t have a generic, so I couldn’t afford it. In January I went to Ortho Tri Cyclen, and just recently I’ve been having abdominal cramps – but I’ve had no sex drive since I started the pills. I once joked with my Dr that that’s the best form of birth control I’ve ever heard! I would never try the Nuva Ring, simply because the insertion might be okay, but then you have to fish it out at the end of 21 days and I don’t like that idea.

    What about an IUD? Or Ortho Evra? The Seasunique or Seasonale I heard are pretty good – but expensive. You just take 3 months at a time and not have your period for that long. I have heard a lot of bad stuff about Yaz and Yasmin, like it might increase the potassium level or something to that effect. But you should talk to your doctor :)



  15. angela

    Aug 13 at 10:07 pm

    What you are describing with Yaz, is what Yasmin did to me. It was awful. I switched to Yaz though and I’ve been much, MUCH better. Hope you get it all figured out though, because being tired like that all the time is no way to live if you don’t have to.



  16. mel

    Aug 13 at 10:23 pm

    I’ve been on Nuva-Ring for about 4 years and I love it. I have been on Estrostep and the Ortho Evra, the patch (ie. EVIL). Nuva-Ring has not given me any real troubles. I think though that it has caused me to have more than necessary UTI’s, but other than that, not much.

    It can take up to 3 months for any birth control to really work it’s way into your system and for your body to get used it.



  17. Corrie

    Aug 14 at 8:09 am

    I got pregnant twice, while on Ortho. I am a bad example pf birth control.

    I want to get my tubes ties, Jon wants me to wait a few more years. He thinks either him or I will go crazy and perhaps may want yet another kid. As if a FOURTH kid is a good idea.



  18. Dana

    Aug 14 at 11:07 am

    I take Ortho Tri-Cyclene LO and I haven’t had many problems at all. My sis took Yaz and she’s had lots of problems.

    Research — and perhaps tri the ORTC lo — it’s better than the regular stuff.

    Oh, and the IUD I hear great things about…especially if you guys plan on waiting several years before trying again!



  19. Kristal

    Aug 14 at 2:02 pm

    I’m on Yasmine myself and I’m pretty sure this is the low-dose version of Yaz.

    Years ago I tried Tricycline and some other long-since-forgotten brand and had the same symptoms you did, as well as 5-day migraines! I toughed it out for 3 months and still had no relief.

    I talked to my doctor and she had an inkling that it was the varying hormone levels in those pills that caused my symptoms.

    She switched me to Alesse, which is a low-dose constant hormone level BC, and my life was instantly transformed after the first month. Unfortunately I had to switch when they temporarily stopped making Alesse last year.

    My doctor put me on Yasmine after that (a low-dose constant strength BC) and although it took me a couple months (ie. the typical 3 month period) to adjust, I’ve been fine ever since.

    I guess what I’ve been trying to say is sometimes women need to try different brands to find the one that works with their body.



  20. manda

    Aug 14 at 4:16 pm

    I took Yaz for a while. I liked it. In the beginning I had some side effects, however, they wore of quickly. I liked it better than any of the other birth control pills i have taken.



  21. elisabeth

    Aug 14 at 11:04 pm

    I used to be on the pill but it gave me awful headaches. For a while now we’ve going old fashioned using the Fertility Awareness Method. I was nervous about it at first but it really does work as long as you pay attention to the signs your body is putting out.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertility_awareness.




  23. Jennifer

    Aug 16 at 8:37 pm

    I just finished my first pack too and I’m going exactly what you are going through. Unfortunately, my problem is I have to take this to try to regulate my PCOS and other problems with my uterus (Adenomyosis). Otherwise they want me to undergo a hysterectomy and I really want to avoid that. But this fatigue thing is driving me up the wall!

    I was on Depo once in the past but besides that I have never taken any BCPs in my life. Depo is what brought my PCOS and other problems on. I am really concerned about the side effects of BCPs, but I’m willing to give it a shot. I just don’t know how much longer I can put up with feeling the way I am feeling!

    Thanks for posting on my blog- I’m sorry you are going through this too, but I am glad you posted about it!