Drospirenone / ethinyl estradiol for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• Gre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2021

"I've had a very positive experience with Yaz (Eloine in the UK), which has completely cleared up my previously debilitating PMDD. All of my symptoms have gone: the fatigue, nausea, difficulty concentrating, depression, anxiety, foggy-headedness, bloating, water retention, cravings, muscle aches, and insomnia. I've been taking it continuously for four months, and although for the first few weeks I noticed some of the side effects mentioned on the leaflet, such as tearfulness and breast swelling (also, I was hornier than usual!), these went and left me feeling really good. I don't notice a single side effect now, and I have more consistent energy and happiness. Also, no weight gain to speak of: I just had some fluctuations in water retention during the first month, and my shape has slightly changed (a little less fat on my stomach/more on my hips), but it's not extreme, and I feel good. I definitely recommend trying Yaz for PMDD, and I hope your experience is as good as mine!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 20, 2018

"My period used to be 7 days, with 3 really heavy days where I would have to change a S+ tampon out every 4-5 hours and had cramps that would double me over and send me to the bathroom with diarrhea. My breasts would become sensitive and swell, and I would just feel generally disgusting. I only had 1 week/month to actually enjoy life without period-related issues. Now, the only time I cramp significantly is the first couple of days of it, but even then not much. I also might get a single pimple. My period averages 5 days, and a regular tampon is sufficient for at least 4 hours even on the heaviest day. It took about 4 months for my body to start getting used to it, and now it's been 7 months and I think I've fully adjusted. The only negative side effect that I've noticed is that I have to take it at exactly the same time every day or I'll spot until my next period. I may be able to take it an hour late once, but I once took it a couple of hours late 2 days in a row, and I spotted every day for the next 3 weeks."

• Mis...
• October 15, 2020

"I have been on Gianvi around 7 months now for PMDD. Prior to Gianvi, I had the copper IUD, which I didn't like. Every month, I would get suicidal depression before my period. I did the research and found out about PMDD. I started taking Gianvi, and my 1st month on it was the happiest I'd been in a while. I felt a lot more balanced and less stressed. Maybe it was a placebo effect because the following months weren't necessarily as great, but my PMDD was still WAY better. Last month, switched me to Loryna, which was making me feel so depressed and crazy, I stopped taking it after 2 weeks. After a lot of desperate searching, I found another pharmacy that carries Gianvi and am back on it. It has only been a few days, and I feel back to normal. I haven't had any negative effects, no weight gain, and if anything, my skin has improved. I know birth control isn't necessarily the most natural or healthy thing, but it is better than feeling suicidal every month. I have tried lots of different birth controls, and this is the only one I have liked."

• you...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 3, 2013

"I took Gianvi for about a year for my PMDD. Since doing it, I noticed a very uplifting change in my mood and irritability. I was no longer aggressive, and I didn't burst into tears at least once a day before my period, so that is a definite improvement. I went off of it, changed to Loryna, and then changed back to Gianvi. Right now, I have horrible cystic acne from switching around my medicine, but it works wonders on my hormones, which to me is the important part."

• sad...
• February 24, 2020

"This pill was great for the first couple of months. My acne cleared, which was a problem due to my PCOS, and my periods were finally regular. I could feel these mood swings coming on, but I felt like a demon. This all hit me full force after I passed the third month. I was irritated at the smallest things, zero libido, it was an out-of-body experience. My self-esteem plummeted to where I never wanted to even look at myself, severely depressed and anxious, which I have not struggled with in the past, and gained 15 pounds out of nowhere. I couldn’t go an hour without crying. One day I almost had to pull over while driving because I couldn’t breathe. The way these hormones hit me was a nightmare, I am never ever going back to the pill. I’ve done too much trial and error for this, it’s not worth my mental health/state of mind. One week off of it and I feel like myself again, thank goodness. Avoid Gianvi if you want to keep your brain the same!!!!"

• Vad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 10, 2018

"I suffered with severe menstrual cramps and symptoms that put me in the hospital 3 times now. I started Nikki to see if it would help. I have no problems with this birth control at all, and I’ve been on it for over a year now! I was switched to Loryna for a time because my pharmacy stopped carrying Nikki, and it was nothing but awfulness those couple of months before I was switched back. I have no side effects, the energy I need, and motivation to get up and about. I’ve read lots of bad reviews about this medication, but I’ve had nothing but excellent experiences with this medication! I do wish they would stop slowly removing it from my pharmacies. I’ve had to switch between 4 different pharmacies to find it..."

• Can...
• April 28, 2018

"I started taking Yaz about 6 months ago. I suffer from very severe and painful PMDD and periods (I bloat for like 10 days before my period), have had a fibroid removed, ovarian cyst ruptures, etc., etc. (just bad luck overall with my reproductive system). Docs have put me on a lot of pills in the past. I have to say Yaz is the only pill that has ever helped with my physical symptoms. But it has also had the most crippling effect on my mental health. I've experienced sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, and worthlessness like never before. I cry at the drop of a hat (not normal for me), I can't focus (and I'm in grad school). If my boyfriend doesn't text me back for a couple of hours, I'm basically on my deathbed. It's crazy. I really thought I was going super crazy, but I'm pretty sure it's this pill. I'm going to see a doc about it to see what they have to say. It sucks what we have to go through - choosing between pain and discomfort or damaged emotional health!"

• Tan...
• May 22, 2010

"I started taking Yasmin when I had a continuous period of bleeding for 2 1/2 months. I took it for 2 years until Ocella came out as the generic form of Yasmin. I had no complaints, and it helped regulate all my symptoms and made that time of the month more bearable for me. I could get out of bed and actually function the way I normally do. The only downside I had to taking this is I did develop gallbladder disease and ended up having an emergency gallbladder removal. I would recommend that anyone who takes this watch what they are eating too and limit lots of fatty foods."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2019

"So I was put on this pill about 4 months ago because I had lost my period for over 9-10 months due to rapid weight loss, and I had done everything to try and get it back, so the gynecologist put me on Yaz to force me to get my period. I think the pill is great, I don’t really experience a lot of the side effects except for a little weight gain, which I don’t know is from not going to the gym consistently like I used to or from water retention. But I have noticed that my boobs have grown like 2 sizes bigger. I also get headaches once in a while, but that’s not a big deal."

• Abc...
• September 19, 2020

"I decided to take birth control to help with my PMDD; my anxiety and OCD would get much worse, and my depression would flare up, starting about 11 days before my period. I dreaded whenever I had a special event or work deadline due around that time of the month. So I decided to try birth control recently. My anxiety increased for a couple of weeks upon taking it, but this anxiety has leveled off and now I don’t notice it affecting my mood in a negative way at all. I have noticed no hair loss, weight gain, or acne, thankfully. I have been taking Nikki (generic) for about two months now, and I’m amazed by how I don’t have PMS anymore! (I decided, upon the doctor's recommendation, to take the pill continuously-skipping placebo pills-so I don’t have periods anymore; so this may be why I don’t have the PMS). Only negative side effect: breakthrough bleeding about 10 days during the first month, but it’s been much lighter and less time this month."

• Anonymous
• December 6, 2011

"I have been on Yaz for 2 months now to fix my newly discovered hormonal imbalance. I felt the effects of the pill after a week. I am far more emotional and am seriously depressed. Major mood swings. On a happier note, my periods are regular and last 4 days with little cramping and little to no bloating. Above all, I do not feel myself. Once my 3-month trial is done, I'm definitely going to explore my options and steer away from birth control. I do not feel myself anymore."

• emm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 2, 2021

"It’s been 2 to 3 years since I have had PMDD. I had terrible anxiety, crying spells, I felt rejected, and I had insomnia every month and never really realized it was PMDD. About 6 months ago, I talked to my mom about it, and she told me it was probably PMDD because she had the same thing. Yaz was the solution for her. So, I tried it with hope it would work for me. Unfortunately, it didn’t help me. I believe it even made it worse, I had anxiety panics during the night, which I rarely had before. Also, it really affected my libido, and I never wanted to have sex with my boyfriend. I was really feeling desperate and feeling that nothing would work for me until I tried the antidepressant Citalopram. For me, it was life-changing, I take 10 mg every day, and I have almost no more symptoms of PMDD. It has worked really great for me. So, I would say try Yaz first, because it worked for my mom and it worked for a lot of women, and if it doesn’t work, try Citalopram! It is really life-changing for me :)"

• Sma...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 28, 2020

"This medication is awful! First three months I broke out terribly in my chest and had severe headaches. Figured I needed time to adjust. Then last month, I started getting bad pain in my ovaries-Yaz had caused a huge cyst-never had it before. Required surgical intervention. Not to mention, my periods came whenever, wasn't even a period though, just bloody discharge and horrible cramps that sent me to the ER once because they made me vomit for four days straight. OBGYN pulled me off of it ASAP!"

• kay...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 7, 2023

"Yaz literally saved my life. I'd been suffering from PMDD for several years without knowing, and after a lot of digging later, I discovered I might have it. I genuinely could not live the way I was anymore and was about to end my life. I was desperate for anything to make it so I could breathe again (I was so incredibly depressed and anxious I'd have panic attacks for hours every day, multiple times a day, and couldn't get out of bed to go to the bathroom. I couldn't stand in the shower without sobbing, etc., for 3 weeks straight each month. It was impossible to function. I tried this. It took about 2 months for me to start feeling alive. I have to be very rigid about taking this at the same time every day, if I am an hour or two off for 2 days in a row, all my symptoms come back in full swing and usually stay for at least a month straight, and there is nonstop bleeding/spotting. The only side effect I have experienced so far (it has been about 13 months) are minor headaches every once in a while. It saved me."

• Hol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 21, 2012

"I loved Gianvi. I took it for about 5 years and noticed minimal side effects. I feel like birth control pills really help stabilize people who have hormonal mood problems to begin with; but if they are fine to begin with, they throw it off balance and cause side effects. I was not fine to begin with. Very irregular, heavy, painful periods, hormonal acne, and PMDD. Gianvi stabilized me. One thing I did notice was my hair growth pretty much stopped for some reason, which was weird. But that was the only side effect. Cleared my skin."

• Anonymous
• November 12, 2009

"I took Yaz because of my problems with tiredness and heavy mood swings. While on the pill, I noticed it made them 1,000,000 times worse. However, it did make my periods light, which was super nice for a change. I took this pill for only 3-4 months, then had to switch because my boyfriend and family were sick of me being moody all the time."

• Cal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2021

"Yaz completely gave me my life back. I had/have really bad PMDD that was affecting my life heavily. I wish PMDD was a more commonly known thing, it so easily gets brushed off as PMS or moodiness, as I did for about a year. I didn't know it existed until a few months ago, hence not looking for a cure. I think I'll take this forever, the improvement is unbelievable. PMDD is all but gone. Also worth mentioning, I add vitamin B6 in the PMS period, but it's definitely predominantly the Yaz that's fixed me."

• Pra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2018

"On my 2nd day of Yaz, and I’m already quitting it tomorrow. It’s currently 4:09 in the morning, and I haven’t slept since taking the pill 2 days ago. My heart's been beating rapidly since I started, and having palpitations."

• PMD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 15, 2023

"I have tried every single birth control out there, the depo shot, mini pill, ring, patch, sponge, you name it, I’ve tried it. They have all made me feel like I was losing my mind or would affect my moods severely. I gained weight on the depo, which didn’t help with my mental health issues. I finally saw a doctor and told them all of my concerns. They told me I was suffering from PMDD, and everything made sense. A couple of weeks before my period, I would turn into Wolverine. It wasn’t good for me or my family, especially my partner, because I would pick fights, literally for no reason. I have been on YAZ for one month now, and I was hesitant because of some of the negative reviews. But I took the risk and am so glad I did. I did not get my period, my acne is disappearing (I have severe bacne), I can speak calmly to my kids if they’re acting out, and I haven’t argued with my partner. I can sleep again! You just need to try everything until you find the perfect BC. It’s YAZ for me."

• Anonymous
• December 2, 2011

"I have been taking Yaz for roughly around 7 years, it was a miracle pill for my PMDD when I first started taking it. Over the past 3-4 years, I have not been feeling up to par. Severe allergies, fatigue, mouth ulcers, no interest in sex, moodiness, and stomach pain are just a few of the things I had been experiencing. After a bout of moodiness and having to be talked to twice at work (this never happens, I pride myself on my work ethic), I finally decided to check into the background and rare side effects of Yaz. I have been experiencing all of them! I'm not suggesting this will happen to everyone, but if you start to not quite feel yourself, it never hurts to check into your medication's background. I will stop taking Yaz!"

• Anonymous
• August 30, 2010

"I was given this generic by my pharmacy, who did not inform me that it was a generic that my insurance company told them to give me even though the doctor has specifically prescribed Yaz to treat my PMDD symptoms. My main PMDD symptom was menstrual migraines. After about 2 weeks of being on Gianvi, I was suffering from constant headaches that got progressively worse until my doctor told me to stop taking it. In addition to this side effect, I suffered from persistent muscle spasms and extreme changes in appetite."

• tig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2022

"I was a little nervous to start Yaz because I had a bad experience with Alesse years ago (it made my mood a lot worse). I started Yaz due to irregular periods and significant PMS symptoms. I take it with no breaks (no placebo pills) as per my gynecologist, and it has made a significant positive impact on my life. I had noticed that my mood is generally a lot more stable during pregnancy, and this is very similar since I do not ovulate. I'm happier, feel more even-keeled, and it has even increased my libido. I haven't noticed any side effects, and my weight has been stable (I'm on the 3rd pack currently)."

• Gog...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 9, 2013

"First off, I'd like to state that before I got on birth control, I had HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE cramps! I mean completely miserable! But after I got on Gianvi, my miserable, horrible cramps are gone. Yeah, I may have some minor pains here and there, but at least I can still function and make it to my classes! Also, I've noticed that my weight hasn't changed at all. I'm just happy that I don't become sad and miserable when my period comes. One negative would be that my sex drive has decreased. But hey, it is called 'birth control.'"

• Eri...
• June 18, 2020

"I'm affected by PMDD and really wanted Nikki to work. The first couple of weeks were okay, minor side effects like breast tenderness, but I was okay. Then gradually, little things started bothering me more to the point I was seething from them. I'd suddenly start crying out of nowhere. Then I'd be sad or triggered by something else. I lost interest in activities that brought me happiness and I just sat around in a miserable heap. I couldn't focus on things and sometimes I'd forget about something I had just done. I also had anxiety over the increased risk of blood clots, like there was an invisible guillotine just hanging over my head that could drop any second, and I'd be maimed or dead from it. I really wanted to get to three months hoping side effects would subside and everything would suddenly be okay, but I only made it into my seventh week before I got so depressed it scared not only me but my husband as well. When something makes PMDD sound tolerable, you know it's bad."

• Gga...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2019

"I am so very thankful I decided to Google the reviews for this horrible pill. Like many others, I was on Loryna and getting my RX from CVS until they stopped carrying Loryna and made the switch to Nikki. For the last few months, I have been moody, overly anxious, and my skin has been awful. It finally occurred to me that there was a correlation between me feeling this way and when I started Nikki. After reading these reviews and switching my prescription to another pharmacy to be back on Loryna, I have noticed a huge difference. I already feel better and back to myself. I truly believe that Nikki was to blame, and I’m proud of myself for taking my well-being into my own hands and switching pharmacies. Suffice it to say, if you feel like you’re going crazy, you’re not! It is this pill, and the manufacturer needs to reassess its effects on women. It did nothing for my PMDD."