I took Yaz for 2 months and 1.5 weeks. During the first two months I started experiencing shortness of breath and intense leg pain. I went to my pmd 3x during this period of time and was given steroids for asthma. Last week my left ankle started swelling and I developed and really bad cough. This time I went to an urgent care. The urgent care doc sent me to the hospital for a duplex scan of my left leg. The Scan revealed a DVT, deep vein thrombosis. I was sent to a larger hospital in Columbus, Ohio where they did a CT of my lungs...in my lungs they found a saddle pulmonary embolism. I am 32 years old and a non-smoker. It is believed I developed this life threatening condition from taking Yaz. I was immediately rushed to a cath lab where I had a filter placed in my vein in the hopes of catching additional blood clots that may travel that direction. I will be on blood thinners for the foreseeable future. I am telling everyone I know about the side effects of this drug.

I was put on Yaz and around Day 9 I was having a very hard time breathing due to a sharp pain in my chest while inhaling. My throat also started to swell up... be careful.

11 months taking Yaz. Extensive bilateral pulmonary emboli enveloping lungs 2 weeks ago. 5 nights in hospital, many tests, very scary. Warfarin for the next 6 months. Any chest pain on Yaz, please go directly to the ER.

I'm half way threw my second pack of Yaz. I have had bad head aches right after starting it. Also I can't have an orgasm. So far those are my only two side affects but after reading all the post Im getting off of it not going to see what else happens.

I almost for got to add that I have been on my period now for two weeks and have tons of break threw bleeding

Wow I am surprised with all the people saying that this is bad... my sister and friend both swear by it saying it's the best method of birth control they have ever been on. Everyone is different though.

I have been on Yaz for just under 3 months now. The first 2 1/2 were great. I had PMDD symptoms for the past year, and when I saw Yaz commercials, thought it would be good to try. I have been on BC since I was 15, and can't even remember how many different ones I've been on. I am now 23. I own my own business, and was happy that the Yaz seemed to be relieving my stress and PMDD the past 3 months. Even my boyfriend noticed the change. But the past month or so I have been getting horrible headaches. I'm lucky if I can go 5 hours without having a sharp stabbing pain hit me somewhere along my head. I'm dizzy most of the time now, too. I recently went out the other night and had a horrible sharp pain in the left side of my chest right under my breast, and it hurt worse with coughing, laughing, laying down, bending over and letting out all the air in my lungs. It freaked me out so I started stressing, and my heart rate went up. I woke up my mom at 3:30 am and she said it sounded like her hernia's that she gets. So I went to bed putting pressure on my chest till I could fall asleep. But now, after reading these forums, I almost doubt it was hernia. I went to see a neurologist last week for my migraine problem, and I'm getting an MRI Wednesday. I'm hoping everything turns out ok. But I am stopping the pill tonight. My headaches and dizziness are only getting worse, and the pain in my chest was the last straw. I will just have to go back to another BC.

I'm 23. 125 lbs, dance 3 times a week, non-smoker, non-drinker. I would say that's way too reasonable of good health to be having these problems that only started after taking (and only taking) Yaz.

I start taking YAZ about a year and a half ago. Things were fine with very light periods/no cramps and some side effects - occasional severe headaches at the start of each pack - leg cramps and one incident of leg swelling after a long drive.
However, it didn't end as well.....Started having Frequently reoccuring severe headaches in June09...for three weeks I thought I was having migraine headaches. Finally, experienced stroke like symptoms. Blurred vision, mixed up speech, right arm numbness, with the severe headache, sensitivity to light and problems focusing in and out on objects. Turned out to be a blood clot in my brain (cerebral venus sinus thrombosis). After reading about what could have happened - I am very lucky. Have spoken to other people about YAZ, one friend with PCOS stated she had taken YAZ and had severe headaches and her Dr. took her of off it saying she was a walking stoke. Another mother said her daughter started YAZ and began having vision problems. I agree this should not be on the market and it is not worth the risk or your life.

My experience with Yaz was mostly negative, I was on it for a year and recently stopped taking it 6 months ago.

Pros:
- short,regulated periods
- never got angry

CONS:
- severe anxiety attacks (never had them before)
- depersonalization episodes (felt like nothing was real)
- 15 pound weight gain
- was always crying (I was never a crier before Yaz)
- started having migraines

All of the cons are starting to/went away completely after I stopped taking the pill. However I'm still struggling with residual anxiety every now and then and I still haven't lost the 15 lbs...not thrilled about that.

I have been on Yaz for 3 years now. No side effects whatsoever...Acne is almost gone, ovarian cysts are FINALLY not a problem, and I am not crazy for a week before my period any longer. I am also over 40. The only downside is the cost...over $50 even with my insurance per month.....anxiously waiting for the generic!! The is the only pill I have taken that didn't cause migraines, acne, cysts to worsen, and severe mood swings. Everyone is different, and what your body does with any birth control pill (or any medication for that matter)is a gamble. You just have to find the one that your body tolerates best.

For those of you who are only concerned that it is helping your acne - BEWARE. I was on YAZ, the first bc I ever toook, for 8 months when I had a stroke -I was 28 - non-smoker, non-drinker, very healthy with no family history or anything. I NEVER had any side effects, things seemed great on the pill until instantly I had a stroke, am still recovering. It is NOT worth the risk, it is way too common. I have met several people since who have had the same thing or worse because of that pill. So please think about the more serious risks.

I took Yaz for polycystic ovarian syndrome for about 8 months. I was moody, and like many of you, crying all the time over absolutely nothing. I went from someone who never PMS'ed to someone who was always nagging and complaining and whining. I didn't recognize myself anymore. I decided to stop Yaz the end of this past April and have not taken it since. My mood swings have improved, however I still find myself crying over silly things and having mood swings on occasion. Does anyone know how long these effects should last? It seems after almost 4 months that these things should be better but they're not.

ok, there's tons of bad replies on this site...... I do have to say, this is the best birth control I've ever been on! My sex drive is up, my boobs are bigger, my acne is gone, and my mood swings are gone....what else could possibly be better!!!! I'm going on my second month and I don't feel bloated, and the only symptoms from this birth control are great ones!!! I definitely recommend this birth control if your doctor says that your a canditate!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been on other birth controls and they made my moods so bad as far as me wanting to hit myself....my husband threw them away! There are no bad side effects with yaz!

Hi.

I started Yaz 3 weeks ago. My doctor put me on it to regulate my periods. I noticed after 2 days of being on the pill that I felt funny, but couldn't put my finger on it and I thought my body was just going through a little hormonal adjustment, which is normal. However, by the time I reached 7 days with taking Yaz, my mood had changed drastically, and not for the good. I was crying all the time and very angry as well. Not to mention I started to bleed heavily and the headache to go along with it was incredible. I also had a massive swing in my eating habits (I just could NOT get filled up. My energy level dropped through the floor. That is quite something coming from a woman who works out daily and eats small, but healthy portions normally. I could hardly get out of bed! I felt like I was going crazy. It was alomst like I was not real, like I was watching myself through someone else's eyes. I decided to discontinue the pill 2 days ago after putting all the symptoms together and the time frame. The scarest thing about all of this though was last night when I was relaxing while watching television. There was an ad and phone number on TV to call if you have experienced negative symptoms due to the Yaz pill. Little did I know just how serious this pill issue could have become for me. OMG, thank goodness I listend to my body and got off that damn pill before it destroyed me.

I think it all depends on the person. I'm 21 and I've been on Yaz for 3 years now. I've never taken any other pills. I've had no side effects, have lighter, shorter periods, no weight gain, no mood swings, and I think it helped with acne (I have none now).

Also I've heard that you should always walk around when on long flights--sitting for long periods of time can cause a stroke if you have an undetected blood clot.

I was on Yaz for a year because I have always had wild mood swings and because I was finished having children. The doctor told me to take the pill continuously so that I would not have a period at all. I thought that sounded great to not have a period! From the beginning, it felt like the pill regulated my moods at the bottom of the swings! I was irritable and moody all the time. I still had cramps, tender breasts and bad hair at the end of the pill cycle (when PMS was supposed to take place!) I will say that the year was filled with added stress in my life...my mother in law passed away, I took my mother and sisters on a trip abroad, and my husband announced we were moving out of state! So I was really looking for something to HELP me with my emotional state. As it turned out, I was very emotional about everything. I cried ALL the time, I couldn't make simple decisions, I was despondent and depressed. I thought I was having a nervous breakdown! I finally begged an urgent care doctor to prescribe an antidepressant because I couldn't take it anymore and I had not located a doctor in our new town. Fortunately, at that same time, the Yaz prescription ran out and I hadn't found a new OBG so I stopped taking it. The antidepressant helped get me back on my feet so that I could cope but by that time, I had gained 30lbs! I know that alot of it was stress eating but I wonder if I would've been that out of control had I not been on the Yaz. It has played a toll on my marriage because the depression and the lack of libido in an already stressful year has caused a great deal of emotional distance to come between us. It never occurred to me that the BCP I was taking could have side effects that could effect me that much. I will be a far better consumer from now on when told to take a certain medicine for anything!

I was on YAZ for abouth 3 years.. loved it... no acne (no that i had any before), 4 day light periods, cramps went away, regular periods... HOWEVER... I did have severe headaches every month around the time of my period, and last december '08... i was taken to the ER- turned out I had gallstones and i had to have my gallbladder removed, as it was ready to rupture! I never had gallstones, or gallbladder problems before- ever! I got off the pill- YAZ, around January of this year... as we are trying to get pregnant... NOW i have really bad acne... my skin breaks out all over... so bad... and i never had these issues. My headaches went away...my periods are regular, but very long and painful...and i have some uterine fibroids... i would never go back to taking BC... ever...!

i have been on it for a few years and now i fear for my life, because i am having side effects that could mean i have a blood clot, stroke, ect. its bad and i wouldnt recommend you take it. it did good for my acne, it also worked well for a while, but now im having these symptoms AND ive had to have my gallbladder removed! i say no but you do what ever you feel is best for you. im just saying, im only 18 and afraid because of a little pill, i am in excruciating pain.... good luck...

ahem
im 17. took yaz from 15-16 stopped kuz i didnt wanna go back for another checkup haha but anyway
i was on yaz, worked great. no pregnancy scares period all on time kept a boyfriend for months no problems ever. happy as can be. healthy as crap. no hair loss. no weight gain or loss. no headaches. contacts got blurry sometimes but that happens now. so i was greattt
buuut
this girl in my class , her gallbladder shut all the way down. like she was passin out dehydrated everything. i dnt knw what a gallbladder does but hers doesnt work anymore. we dont knw if something was already wrong or if it happen kuza yaz but yall should check on that