Yaz

[Melalvai]

Anyone had any experience with Yaz? I'm so reluctant to go on hormones. That was the whole point behind hanging on to the one ovary I have left. But it's getting uncomfortable (read: painful) enough that I'm considering it. Has anyone had bad side effects on it?

If only bicycling cured all our ills!

[7rider]

Yaz??
I remember their album from the '80's Upstairs at Eric's.
Oh, man...back to my college days!

Sorry...don't know about any other Yaz's....

[Aggie_Ama]

I had spotting between periods, my doc said it was because the low hormone in Yaz. Of course I am on a medicine that may be contributing to it, she felt the Yaz was breaking down too fast. That is my only experience.

[channlluv]

Only from the FDA-required commercial correcting claims in a previous commercial that may have been confusing to some viewers. The spokeswoman is lovely, but the list of possible side effects, yikes.

Any natural options for you? Wild yam cream or something? (Not that there aren't natural side effects with natural homeopathic remedies, either, but still.)

Roxy

[ASammy1]

I HATED YAZ!!!!

I also spotted between periods and gained 15 lbs in 3 months. I also felt numb the whole time, like I had no feelings. My skin broke out in places it never breaks out. I got cystic acne on my cheeks, nose, chest and back.

It was a HORRIBLE experience for me and I will never go back on it. Loestrin is definitely a better fit for me regarding low dose BCPs...

Good luck!

[NoNo]

I HATED YAZ!!!!

I also spotted between periods and gained 15 lbs in 3 months. I also felt numb the whole time, like I had no feelings. My skin broke out in places it never breaks out. I got cystic acne on my cheeks, nose, chest and back.

It was a HORRIBLE experience for me and I will never go back on it. Loestrin is definitely a better fit for me regarding low dose BCPs...

Good luck!

Wow, that's pretty much the exact opposite of my experience. I love it. I used to have debilitating cramps for the first three days, and even a good week before my period. I'd also get super moody, intense food cravings, and a host of other PMS-related issues. Yaz has stopped all of that. Rarely (maybe once a year) I have spotting, I'm no longer a crying/screaming mess, and for me the biggest change is that I no longer suffer in pain. No skin problems, either, but then I never really had any even through puberty. Weight has been steady, if not slightly lower, as well. I guess everyone has a different result and you won't know what works for you until you try.

[bouncybouncy]

I was on it for years....no ill side effects what-so-ever. Have recently stopped the pill altogether but you should be aware of what is going on with this brand. All meds have their risks and side effects but this one seems a bit more...what do you say??? Anyway, read on:

http://www.yazsideeffectslawsuit.com/

[ny biker]

Yaz??
I remember their album from the '80's Upstairs at Eric's.
Oh, man...back to my college days!

Sorry...don't know about any other Yaz's....

Oh man. I had a friend in college who LOVED them.

[ASammy1]

Wow, that's pretty much the exact opposite of my experience. I love it. I used to have debilitating cramps for the first three days, and even a good week before my period. I'd also get super moody, intense food cravings, and a host of other PMS-related issues. Yaz has stopped all of that. Rarely (maybe once a year) I have spotting, I'm no longer a crying/screaming mess, and for me the biggest change is that I no longer suffer in pain. No skin problems, either, but then I never really had any even through puberty. Weight has been steady, if not slightly lower, as well. I guess everyone has a different result and you won't know what works for you until you try.

I get the occasional pre-period pimple on the forehead, but nothing like I experienced on Yaz. I'm glad you like it and as it seems just like everything else on this board, everyone is different and has to learn what works for them

[Crankin]

I knew you were talking about the bc pill, but to me, Yaz= Carl Yazstremski, circa 1967 Red Sox.

[salsabike]

I knew you were talking about the bc pill, but to me, Yaz= Carl Yazstremski, circa 1967 Red Sox.

Me too. I thought, why are they talking baseball?? What a funny variety of responses!

[NbyNW]

I think you may have to weight the risks (as with any medication) and try it out to see if it works for you.

Everyone is different. I don't know if my experience will help inform your decision, as you are considering it for very different reasons. I tried Yaz for about 6 months (maybe), years ago when I was getting yeast infections on a monthly basis. I had started to suspect that it had something to do with the hormonal changes from the pill. So we tried different pills to see if there was something that would not cause me to get infections. I think Yaz might have been the third thing I tried. I didn't have any terrible side effects, but it didn't solve my yeast problem either.

Eventually I went off the pill, after a girlfriend told me about a book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's not for everyone, but if you're in a committed relationship and can trust your partner, it's one way to go, whether your goal is to avoid getting pregnant or if you are trying to get pregnant. Plus, it was a great way of knowing with pretty good certainty what day my period would start. And I haven't had a yeast infection since I went off the pill.

[Selkie]

Yaz??
I remember their album from the '80's Upstairs at Eric's.
Oh, man...back to my college days!

Sorry...don't know about any other Yaz's....

Allison Moyet and the guy (Clarke?) who formed Erasure!!

I still listen to Yaz...... They have a greatest hits album out, 7.

Back to the OP, is Yaz your only option? Or other BCPs? I've been on Mircette for over 15 years and LOVE it. Low dose BCP and I haven't had a period or PMS since I started taking it.

[Aggie_Ama]

Back to the OP, is Yaz your only option? Or other BCPs? I've been on Mircette for over 15 years and LOVE it. Low dose BCP and I haven't had a period or PMS since I started taking it.

Before I had to take medicine for my tremors that kick my liver in to hyper-drive I took Mircette. I can't remember anything negative. I had shorter periods (4-5 days instead of 7), low PMS, no cramping (I used to skip class they were so bad), no spotting. Unfortunately I now have to take Necon (high estrogen).

[Melalvai]

Thanks! That's funny about the baseball player. I thought it was a funny name because I had a friend in grad school named Yaz. That was his nickname, it was short for a long, difficult to pronounce Japanese name.

My doctor prescribed it for the cyclic moods, hemorrhoids & other problems. We don't need birth control because my husband is fixed and I had a hysterectomy 4 years ago. I got to keep one ovary, which I was EMPHATIC about, because I did not want to go on hormones at age 31.

But I'm considering going on hormones anyway because the monthly effects are getting bad.

I asked my husband if he'd be interested in both of us getting sex changes, so he could have these problems for a while. He declined. He didn't think I'd be nearly as good a caretaker as he is.

I read on Hyster Sisters that some people got migraines from Yaz. I am prone to migraines, at the high-progesterone low-estrogen times of my cycle. And then other people said their migraines stopped.

So, I guess the only way to find out what it'll do to me, is to try it.

I'm still on the fence. I really don't want to take hormones. (My research is breast cancer prevention, and if there's one thing that prevents breast cancer, it's getting off the hormones!)