Need Input on Birth Control Pills -- YAZ

Hi M.,

Get her off yaz now, and consider changing your Dr. Several years ago when yaz 1st came out, I had 2 friends that started using it. They both had really bad side effects....these were grown women who thought they were going crazy! Yaz was pulled off the market for a while after that. Why they started selling it again, I do not know & why any Dr would prescribe this is beyond me.

If your daughter really needs to be on BC, then make sure it is an old-fashioned (by that, I mean nothing that's been new in the last 10 yrs) low-dosage pill. One good one is Loestrin.

I see a nurse-practioner in Denton for my well-woman visits...she's also very good with women who have hormone imbalances (mainly the menopause kind though), but she might be able to help. If you are near Denton and want her contact info, just pm me.

good luck!

Birth control pills can have a tremendously negative impact on thyroid function and since low thyroid function is so very common these days, that could well be your daughter's issue - it matches all her symptoms:

Here's info from this website - http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/thyroid-drug-faq.htm
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Q. What About Thyroid Hormone and Estrogen? (i.e., Hormone Replacement Therapy, Birth Control Pills)

Women taking estrogen (either as hormone replacement -- i.e., Premarin -- or in birth control pills) may need to take more thyroid replacement hormone. Estrogen increases the body's production of a blood protein that binds thyroid hormone to it, making it inactive. For women without thyroids in particular, this can cause a need to increase the dosage level slightly, as there is no thyroid to compensate. After beginning any estrogen therapy, a woman should always have TSH tested to see if the estrogen is having an impact on overall TSH and thyroid function and might require a dosage adjustment.
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Also, birth control pills deplete the body of key vitamins like the B vitamins. Low levels of B vitamins can contribute to depression:
http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C378603.html
Note: that article also mentions the hormones

I know it's difficult these days, but given your daughter's reactions, BC pills may not be the answer and they've found that girls on the pill are more likely to pickup STDs, since they aren't as conscientious about the use of condoms.

The least you need to do is to get her thyroid tested and make sure she takes some high quality vitamin supplements.

i would suggest instead of a pill, maybe see about getting her the shot? I had a very hard time with periods too, and started bc pills at 15, and then verged to having the shots as i was having huge reactions emotionally b/c of the pills. I really hope she gets something that works for her!

I understand about wanting to come off the pill, and I will definitely take her off of Yaz. I had the same initial problems that your daughter had and extreme fatigue and craps so bad I would get physically ill. I went on ortho-cyclen and all the problems cleared up. 2 of my sisters have the same problems and they are also on ortho-cyclen or ortho-tricyclen. I did have a weight gain, but I think that goes with every pill. I went off the pill to get pregnant and all the problems came back by my second period. It was awful and I could barely function for the first 2 days of my period and it lasted about 7 days. If I was in your position, I would take her off for awhile, but please be open to other pills if her problems return. My mom would not let me go on the pill until I was 19 for these problems and I suffered for over 5 years.

I don't know about YAZ , but I do know on some people that BCP can make you weepy.

no experience with yaz...but i thought the commercials mentioned that it was for a period "condition" like for people who experience extreme moodiness on there periods ?
like it is not a regular birth control.
anyways, i have been on several types of pills and always get side effects. i have been on the shot too and same thing. i have recently been prescribed the nuva ring. i love it. check out the web site....i think it is www.nuvaring.com ? i love it and have not had sideeffects at all.