In the Making

Working on getting the Yasmin & Yaz tee off to the printers. 

Here is what it will look like: 

A link to where you can order it will be here shortly!

Yasmin & Yaz T-shirt Suggestions

Hello Ladies,

As so many of you have suffered from the birth control Yasmin and Yaz, or know someone who has. It is time we speak up. Here is a collection of t-shirt samples gathered by the suggestions of the women out there who is fighting to get their lives back.

We will ONLY SELECT ONE style t-shirt, except for when we are pill specific then we will have two (one for yasmin and one for yaz). So please submit your vote by making a comment here or send an email to yasmin_yaz@live.com on what t-shirt you like the best! Please respond by August 1, 2011

Once all the votes are in I will publish the result and we can start the pre-order process! 

I SURVIVED YASMIN

I SURVIVED YAZ

ZAPPED

SISTERS UNITED

YOUR BODY

WHAT'S A NAME

WARNING FOR YASMIN

WARNING FOR YAZ

A WOMAN'S KILLER

Yasmin Story on Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMMo_a_0Lkg

NO No noooooooooo!

Got the test results back yesterday, but the nurse who I spoke to on the phone earlier yesterday actually thought she was speaking to someone else... so that was good because what she said to me over the phone did not make any sense to me.

Not that my test results made any sense to me.. well at least not all of them.
It showed low levels of TSH but normal levels of T4 - which points toward a syndrome that is called "Subclinical Hyperthyroidism" (I did my own online research when I got home).

My A1c was slightly high on the test, too high for my liking. This is a sign that verifies my suspicions that I do have some kind of insulin issue...

My cholesterol was a little skew, my good (HDL) was too low and my bad ones (LDL & TriG) were too high. But I have nothing to compare it with since it was the first time I took it. I am a little against measuring cholesterol because I don't think it really shows a good picture of your health anyway.. we need the lipoproteins in order to tell a better story. But it is a starting point.

So here are my thoughts
I have been thinking for a while that I was having thyroid issues because I have such a hard time loosing weight and have gained so much since coming off the birth control over a year ago now, and on top of that I am having a very low basal temperature in the morning, over one full degree of what is considered 'normal'... But all those issues point toward Hypothyroidism and not Hyperthyroidism! How can I be still FAT while I have a hyper thyroid?!

Second, doesn't the thyroid and insulin kind of go hand in hand? Can you have hypoT with high levels of TSH? I mean, off course you can, but does it really make sense?

I have so many questions that I think I need to speak to a Endocrinologist... I don't think my levels are alarming of any kind, they are very manageable but I still want to be able to understand it a little bit better. The doctor did not want to see me yesterday, it was just the mistake of the nurse. But then she said: "He wants you have to go on a strictly diet, and we will take your tests again in February"...

Now to someone that has no idea what low TSH, high LDL, Low B12, Normal T4, Low D3, High A1c means - what kind of a diet is that person suppose to go on. Because I am PRETTY darn sure different people call different thing a diet. Weight Watchers, Jenny Graig, Atkins, South beach, GI,  No Gluten, LCHF, Count Calories... just to name of few - which one is a diet in your mind? And which one would in your mind make the best impact on the above test results???

Well, I know which one I am going to pick - and I would have done so no matter what the doctor said, but what about other people. What does 'Going on a diet' mean?? Just as what does 'I eat healthy' mean???!!!

Off course I am struggling with the questions if this is by any chance related to Yasmin... In my mind it is.. I found this article where they say "...TSH may be unintentionally suppressed during hormone replacement therapy in about 20% of hypothyroid patients..." http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/full/152/1/1
I simply think that my 11 years on birth control has destroyed parts of my body's own functions and while I was on it, it was simply hiding those issues. But I might only be looking for something else to blame than myself...

And another journey begins...

Call Back

I never thought that would happen... Never even crossed my mind...
I was at my family physician last Monday for some tests. I just basically wanted some updated numbers from last year on my Thyroid, Vitamin levels, and I also asked for Cortisol levels because I have been having some issues related to insulin.
Today they called and wanted me to come back in to discuss some abnormal levels. I tried to have the woman tell me what it was all about - and off course she is not allowed so she simply said: well, I don't know how to read this stuff. And would not fax me the results... So I have no idea, I can't prepare...

And then on top of that I had my yearly PAP today... any woman doing that knows that it is not the greatest moment in a year... In the examine room the gyno and I are talking about the FAM method as a birth control method. And she agrees that it works if you are educated on the method... She had one woman tell her that they were doing FAM for pregnancy prevention and said "I have not gotten pregnant yet"... Sounds like that person didn't think it was going to work! LOL!

So as I was walking out of the office I asked my gyno if she heard many women complain about yasmin... and she just said "oh no... what they complain about is the ads they see on TV... and that is just attorney's wanting money... any reason why you ask?" I didn't say much because I was taken by surprise and I felt that she was a little rushed. I guess the only symptoms she think I had on Yasmin was my bleeding... and I guess it makes sense. She has not been with me from the start, but now I am thinking I should write her a letter of some kind just to inform her what I went through...  or this ignorance will never stop...

BeYaz - When your birth control fails...

In the medical world, the meaning of a failing birth control is equal to pregnancy, and not a long list of possible side effect. After all they never promised you that they would keep you happy, healthy, or even sane... Just that you would not get pregnant.. at least 99% of the time.

So now they have come up with a new trick... they have added a sprinkle of Folic Acid to the pill IN CASE you are one of those 1% that do get pregnant - then your fetus will be better protected against certain birth defects... whohoo!! I am so happy... now we can all safely start shewing the pill every night again!! (Hope you realized I was just kidding there)

Please remind me; who is FDA working for again?!

Find the whole article here: BeYaz

Birth Control Side Effects

Birth control is a subject that has become a mission bigger than myself... I feel a need to spread the word to everyone I speak with and I wish someone could have shared with me ten years ago what I know today... But on the other hand if someone would have done that - I would not have been here today, trying to work so hard for it.

Birth control in the form of IUD, Pill, Implant, Shot, Ring or Patch are a hormonal form of birth control. They are accepted as the NORM by many; including our parents, friends and doctors and are not questioned enough. What we learn about them are the so called benefits and not side effects - and in many cases the side effect is looked upon as that X% chance of getting pregnant... Off course getting pregnant will change your life forever no matter what you decide to do when you find out that you are pregnant and I am not trying to hide that... but there is so much more than that. So much that not many speak about, or even acknowledge as being related.

More often than NOT are our symptoms ignored, laughed at, or treated with medications that most often fail. Why, I do not know - but I am sad that it has to be that way... there are so many young wonderful women out there that need the support that are left alone to think that it is all in their heads.

I am here to tell you that it is NOT in your head - your symptoms are very much real and are related to hormonal birth control, (or hormonal treatment during menopause if you are at that stage in your life):

• Hair loss
• Heart Palpitations
• Vision blurres
• Astigmatism
• High Blood pressure
• Allergy reactions
• Sinus problems
• Vaginal Dryness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Insomia
• Symptom of Hypothyroidism
• Low tolerance to carbohydrates
• Poor nutrition absorbtion
• Diarrhea 
• Dizzyness
• Alcohol and/or Caffeine sensitiveness
• Feeling faint
• Weight Gain
• Weight Loss
• Low or no sex drive
• Spotting in-between periods
• Irregular Bleeding
• Cold sores
• Low immune system
• UTI
• Memory problems
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Migraines
• Head aches
• Weepiness
• PCOS
• Sensitive to the sun
• Nervousness 
• Chronically tired
• Changes in skin 
• Muscle cramps or pain
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Blood clot

As you can see most symptoms have nothing to do with your reproductive tract (vagina, uterus, menstruation)... and they may be overlooked by yourself even, as a symptom of your birth control method. And if you suspect that it is linked you must prepare yourself that your suspicion might be dismissed by the doctor or gynecologist. You must listen to your body! Taking beta blockers, anti depressants, and/or use Rogain shampoo will NOT treat your real underlying issue, only hide it - if you are lucky - and then you should also hope for no side effects of this options. The only way you are truly going to get rid of this is to get off the hormonal birth control, and by that I mean GET OFF, not try another one, and restore your body's natural hormone balance; which could be a trip to hell and back but worth the ride in the end!

Your health comes first! It is really that simple. Without your health in tact you cannot care for your loved ones in the best possible way. Take care of YOU first! If you are taking hormonal birth control you should really sit down and ask yourself if it is worth the risks when there are so many other available options out there that does not include hormones when it comes to birth control (something I will be talking about in a later post). If you are a man reading this - I have only one thing to say - Please support your woman when she does not want to use hormonal methods of birth control, I beg you.

1 year anniversary

So today is my one year anniversary off Yasmin (birth control). I am celebrating it with every living part of my body! Looking back - I am so thankful I figured it out. I have no idea of what shape or form I would have been in today if I would have still been taking the pills... I don't want to think about it, the last month I was taking it was bad enough. I honestly though I was going to die. I was even afraid to fall asleep in case I wouldn't wake up... It is so crazy what a pill can do to you. It truly messes with your body and mind. And on top of that, the whitdrawl effects makes you wonder if it may not be just you after all... Thank god I stuck by my words of never going back, never give up, and always look for new answers!

As you already know this has become something bigger to me than just my own health. I want to help every girl and woman out there that might suffer like I did. Nothing is going to stop me in that effort. I only have to work harder on my speaking abilities regarding it. So many people I talk to turn down my ideas with rolling eyes and disinterest, and that makes me a little unsure to continue for some reason... I want to work on that. I should have a practiced speech in my head all the time. You never know when there is an opportunity to present it. Right?!

I have been contacted by a law firm just a few days ago to help them in the effort of getting this off the market. I am not sure of any details but the offer sounds incredibly interesting and I am willing to do what it takes to take this message to the next level. I will update you on what this might bring.


Much love and health to you all

I hope this is it

I think and I hope, even pray, that I have found the last piece to the puzzle when it comes to my recovery from yasmin (birth control).

It is hard to know for sure, and before testing I can still only hope and pray, but I think that I have excess estrogen and not enough progesterone in my body and that combination is making me gain weight simply by blocking my perfectly healthy thyroid to perform what it is supposed to do. And that will make the body store estrogen in the fat tissue making it even harder to lose, and will keep me feel like I have blood sugar issues. I say that it makes me feel like I have blood sugar issues because I feel really shaky and warm from some kind of foods high in sugar but every time I test my blood sugar, it is perfectly normal...

And I have stopped looking for answer at the doctor's office. If my thyroid test comes back normal then it is 'just me' and I have to 'get used to my new body'. Well gaining 25 lbs in less that 2 years (where over 15lbs happened in just 2 months) is NOT normal no matter if I still look like a 'normal' woman. Even the most ignorant person should notice that... but no... unless I am half dead no one will even pretend to be concerned. 

I would LOVE to hear from anyone that have tried natural progesterone cream, both good and bad experiences are welcome. Please?

TKO

I found this with help from a friend on the Yasmin Survivor Forum; It feels like I just got hit in the face, fell on my back, and are trying to breath, all at the same time:

First of all for those of you commenting on birth control, you all need to understand birth control effects every woman differently by age and by already mental illnesses that are present prior to taking birth control. So, to tell people not to take this because of your experiences, does not mean it will be the same for someone else. Not only that, it seems people do not give it enough time to work. You cannot take it for only a month and expect it to be normal to your body right away. It takes time for your body to adjust to a birth control pill due to hormones in it. I used to start birth control with orthotricyclin. The first day I got very nauscious and threw up. The throwing up went on for a couple of weeks on that brand. Then, my periods were lasting for 2 weeks. My Dr. put me on micrette a generic brand with a lower dose. I still had the same problem and then weight gain. I decided to get off birth control all together because I did not like the side effects. I'm now 28 and realize the not good idea of not having pregnancy prevention back up. I finally got back on birth control and my Dr. put me on Yasmin. I am day 1 starter . I have not had any side effects except tiredness the 1st day. I'm clear of side effects for now and I know I'm in the clear due to the fact my past experiences of side effects on other brands of BCP were immediate. Never had I experienced depression or anger issues on any birth control pill. And honestly, it's not by the cause of birth control. It's by what is already an issue with woman, not the pill causing it. I spoke to my Dr. about this because it was a concern of mine based upon reviews of this brand. He told me just that, it's not the pill it's woman that already have issues and it's just showing because of what's really going on in their lives at the time and they are blaming the pill. They might not have had unusual stress before that time frame. They decide to blame the pill because they feel it had started due to taking the pill when really the problem was present before taking it. PMS effects everyone differently as well. I never had PMS symptoms until my later 20's and that was on the pill or off the pill. Periods change frequently. You may have a normal period without cramps, PMS, etc and then the next few you do. It's your body getting older. And when you get older your body changes as well as your hormones. Plus, woman older in their 30's are advised not to take the pill. Vision problems are not related to the pill. It's related to something else. More than reality it's an allergy.

So instead of blaming a pill, you need to ensure it's not related to another problem first.
I have not had any anger, any vision, any weight gain, or other side effects since I've been on Yasmin.

Hope I helped anyone.

You can find the real posting here 

I know this may not be a big deal for many of you... but the way I have suffered from Yasmin... this hurts. Off course everyone has a right to an opinion and not all women suffer from taking birth control pills, but some words just hurts... 

Hormone Based Contraceptives - I hate them

As I am still struggling with my major side effects from Yasmin I am trying hard to keep my head above the surface. Nothing is easy - every step I take drains my energy and I can't seem to focus or get anything done. Even making time to cook is hard and it is easier just not to eat... Luckily I have a husband that gets hungry so I have no choice but to eat.

The only thing that makes me feel that it is not ALL to waste is my ability to educate others with my experiences while getting my own physological sessions by talking about it, or writing about it to be more precise. I am absolutley not ready to talk about it without bursting out in tears.

I realize that it is hard for all readers to understand what I am talking about and from and outside perspective I look fine. I mean; I eat every day, I go to work every day, I run to the bathroom every day, I take a shower every day, I kiss my husband every day, I watch TV every day... I must be OK right?!

I so wish it was that easy - it is not. I don't even find pleasure in shopping anymore and that is crazy!

I can pretty much say that my recovery from Yasmin has been far from symptom free. But I know I will get there, I just don't know when. But this message was really not about me - I have found a great link that talks about all hormone based contraceptives and wanted to share it with all you women out there. One very strong point that they share in their report is that about one THIRD of all women who take a hormone based contraceptive are suffering from depression - ONE THIRD!!!

Visit the link and send it to others PLEASE

http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/everywomanbc.html

Yasmin & Yaz Information Group

It’s been over a week now since I stopped taking Yasmin… I still feel many of the side effects that I listed in my previous post but I didn’t expect this to go away over night either. This has taken me very hard. Not as hard like someone died but hard as in “I have to do something about this”. I have started sending a letter to every person I know and have received great response from many; both to thank me for sharing this and from people feeling the same thing as I have.

And I am not stopping here. I just started a Facebook Group: Yasmin & Yaz Information. My goal with the group is off course to get the word out to as many as possible and then we will see where this leads. I am also working on notifying both the FDA and Bayer about my health but have not gotten to that yet.

All I know is that this is the beginning of something big…
Something has to be done about the medical companies’ ways of getting their products approved. It is so much bigger than just the birth control pills… I am on a roll here and I cannot be stopped!

Help me getting the word out by joining the group and spreading the word.

Thank you for your support.

Yasmin and I

For as many people that I have been trying to “save” from heart disease and false information, I myself have been walking a straight path to stroke and heart attack every single day. I never cared to take a look at myself; I ignored the signs for the benefit.

It is almost funny how someone like me can even be in a situation like this. But it is not funny… it is scary to say the least. I have made a horrible mistake, probably the biggest mistake of my life, and for what?!

Today when I look at it – the benefit isn’t worth it, not even a little bit. Not for anyone! I understand that I didn’t know better when I was 18… but NOW after experience the side effects for so long. But instead of question them; I have taken the side effects into my life and I have accepted them as part of me and my life. How crazy is that?! I have done something that I tell other people to watch out for… How can I be so stupid???

My biggest mistake is my companion Yasmin. She has been here for probably 6 or 7 years. Before her I was friends with some others, but Yasmin was introduced to me as the new and fresh thing, the better thing. The safer thing.

It started with me wanting to be protected against pregnancies off course but after having numerous of issues with the first few brand names I tried you would have thought that someone simply would have said that I should just stay off the pill completely. That is off course not what happened, since no one put two and two together. I was recommended Yasmin as the last option, take it or leave it. I wish someone would have told me to leave it, because I took it. And I have been taking it ever since.

Side effects
The very same year I started my pills I developed pollen allergy, and my allergies have been developed into other allergies as well since then. My vision has been drastically decreased the last few years. Not long ago I received my first prescription glasses ever due to my lack of ability to see in the dark. I was seriously a traffic danger before my glasses. The optician classified my problem as astigmatism, and that is normal I guess… But my vision issues goes beyond that. Sometimes I can’t see what I am actually looking at. It is like something is blocking the exact point I am looking at that I have to look just a bit to the side of what I want to look at… It is milder than the migraine aura but similar. At first I thought all of these vision issues were due to old age (I’m 29) but I am not convinced anymore. I am starting to believe that this is because of the pill…

So far I have told you about my allergies and my vision blurs, and there is more to come. For years I have been suffering from bad sleep and hard time falling asleep and this has resulted in me being tired all the time. Never felt rested. Headaches and neck pain has also been two close companions. Probably because the body can’t take up any water and is dehydrated.

Another issue that I have been battling with is my heart. I can wake up in the middle of the night with it beating like I am running for my life and sometimes the heart beats are so hard that it hurts and it feels like the heart is going to explode out of my body.

I experience panic/anxiety attacks that are a mix of heart palpitation issues, feeling warm, feeling faint, and feeling that I have to either vomit or run to the bathroom. Off course the only thing I can do is lie down in my bed to try to breathe calmly. Standing up is not even an option when this happens. I don’t even think I would be able to take myself to a car if I had to be transported to the hospital without passing out.

So all the above mentioned side effects (allergies, sleep issues, vision problems, head aches, heart palpitations, feeling faint, and panic/anxiety attacks) are things that I only have to deal with sometimes. They don’t haunt me every day. They don’t remind me every day that something is wrong. But I have one thing that does – one thing that I will never get rid of from taking the pill. Never ever. Every time I stop taking the pill (I have done that for a few months here and there) I instantly feel a difference. I feel like ME, like Helena.

This thing that stalks me EVERYDAY is what most people would classify as depression. It increases and decreases, but it is always there. Everything is gray. Nothing is fun, exciting, and nothing impresses me. This is something I feel the second I go back on the pill and I feel it every single day from that day. It is horrible for me to even say this but I have come to be a pretty good actress, most of the time anyway. I would act excited when I know I should and I would sound happy when I know I should. But sometimes people see through it, especially my husband. He sees it right away but probably don’t realize how deep it goes… But here goes – I am depressed and I have been depressed for the last six or seven years. Sometimes the depression isn’t as heavy but sometimes it is unbearable. Off course I have wonderful days too and I can enjoy myself but there is a shadow somewhere in there… always.

Heart issues, vision issues, head aches… anyone hearing that bell? I didn’t for years and years. Now it feels like the bell is sitting in my very own ear… I am lucky to be ALIVE! As so many healthy young women fall victim for heart attack and stroke due to Yasmin or Yaz I should feel so lucky I am alive, that I am not them. I am thankful to what caused me to even look into myself and these side effects, I am thankful for all other women before me that have posted their experiences with Yasmin. They made me feel confident that all this is related. They made my feelings real and not imagination. They made me realize that now is the time to stop.

Yesterday morning was my last day on Yasmin… now I will work on stepping out of the gray shadows that have been an evil parasite inside of me for so many years. It is time that my husband gets his real Helena. It is time I get to enjoy who I really am!

I say this now and I will never take it back: I will never, ever take a hormone based birth control ever again. And I will say this to everyone that wants to listen, and probably a few more.

To all my ladies out there: Be strong! We can do it!

Good websites about Yasmin Side Effects
Yasmin Survivors Forum
Yasmin Side Effects at Medications.com