19 replies to this topic

[Broadwaylife]

Yesterday I went to my GP to get advice about my recent breakouts. She ended up prescribing everything that my derm prescribed a few years ago (which was effective): an antibiotic, Tazorac, and Duac. On top of this, she highly recommended that I take Yaz as well, and gave me a sample of Loestrin24Fe, which I assume is a generic form of it.

The last time that I was on birth control (Seasonale), I gained weight, there was no change in my skin, and worst of all, it gave me severe anxiety. I told my doctor all of this, and as a result how reluctant I am to go back on the pill, but she assured me that she has not heard of these side effects with Yaz. Is she telling the truth or just doing her job of pushing meds?

Has anyone had good/bad experiences with either Yaz or Loestrin24? I'm tempted just to let the antibiotics do their thing and only start BCPs if it doesn't work...

[Alona]

I have been very curious about Yaz... I don't like Ortho Tri Cyclin, I didn't like that way it made me feel (though my OBGYN has told me there are others that won't do that). Let me know how it goes?

[sweetheart519]

Loestrin is different than Yaz. Different progestin. Loestrin has a progestin called norethindrone acetate. Yaz has a progestin called drospirenone. But those pills have the same kind of dosing schedule (24 days of active pills instead of 21 days). Both are very low estrogen pills.

Seasonale has a progestin called levonorgestrel. It is possible that you just don't do well on levonorgestrel. The progestin in Yaz is very anti-androgenic, meaning it should help your skin. Supposedly Loestrin is fairly anti-androgenic as well. Levonorgestrel is highly androgenic and often isn't good for acne, although it works well for me (I take Lo/Ovral, which contains norgestrel - very similar to levonorgestrel). I would give the birth control a shot. If your acne is hormonal, it will help you a lot. Sounds like your derm thinks it is.

If you want personal experience...I have taken Yaz. I hated it. But I can't seem to tolerate that particular progestin. All kinds of nasty side effects. But my best friend takes Yaz and loves it. No problems. It all depends on the person. Loestrin...I have a sample of it at home but I haven't tried it.

Edit: The side effects you describe are common when you need a lower estrogen pill. Seasonale has 30 mcgm of estrogen. The pills your doc recommends are much much lower, only 20 mcgm. It should help with the weight gain, moodiness, etc.

[Alona]

and worst of all, it gave me severe anxiety.

That's what the Ortho did to me, it make me anxious all the time, go to the store, anxious, go home, anxious.

[8yearsofacne]

im taking yaz right now, started less than a week ago. I was on accutane 2 summers ago and i only just started getting pretty big nodules on my chin area, so my derm thought it would be hormonal and put me on yaz. Im also applying differin once every night. I will tell you how it is going in about a week.

[feeling unpretty]

a month ago, i started YASMIN, which i believe is an earlier form of YAZ. i am hopeful. i was on ORTHO TRICYCLEN for 5+ years, went off it last spring, and this summer my skin started breaking out like NEVER BEFORE. it's been depressing to say the least. so i am hopeful that YASMIN will help calm the hormones again. i'm not thrilled about being back on birth control but my sudden acne problem has been devastating to me. i feel desperate.

if anyone has any YASMIN and/or YAZ success stories, i would love to hear.

[feeling unpretty]

Loestrin is different than Yaz. Different progestin. Loestrin has a progestin called norethindrone acetate. Yaz has a progestin called drospirenone. But those pills have the same kind of dosing schedule (24 days of active pills instead of 21 days). Both are very low estrogen pills.

Seasonale has a progestin called levonorgestrel. It is possible that you just don't do well on levonorgestrel. The progestin in Yaz is very anti-androgenic, meaning it should help your skin. Supposedly Loestrin is fairly anti-androgenic as well. Levonorgestrel is highly androgenic and often isn't good for acne, although it works well for me (I take Lo/Ovral, which contains norgestrel - very similar to levonorgestrel). I would give the birth control a shot. If your acne is hormonal, it will help you a lot. Sounds like your derm thinks it is.

If you want personal experience...I have taken Yaz. I hated it. But I can't seem to tolerate that particular progestin. All kinds of nasty side effects. But my best friend takes Yaz and loves it. No problems. It all depends on the person. Loestrin...I have a sample of it at home but I haven't tried it.

Edit: The side effects you describe are common when you need a lower estrogen pill. Seasonale has 30 mcgm of estrogen. The pills your doc recommends are much much lower, only 20 mcgm. It should help with the weight gain, moodiness, etc.

what sort of nasty side effects did you have with YAZ?

[sweetheart519]

what sort of nasty side effects did you have with YAZ?

Keep in mind that this is just me, and most people do fine, and that I just can't seem to tolerate drospirenone. But I pretty much felt horribly sick all month. Nauseous, just sick. But I had some very scary sexual side effects. Like I was unable to enjoy ANYTHING. It's like somebody had turned my nerve endings off. And I was married at the time, and stuff that had worked for YEARS did NOTHING for me anymore. Also my cycle got screwy. But again, I want to reiterate that most likely you will be fine on it. This was just my experience. You really have to try each pill for yourself and just see how it works with your body.

[kvb927]

Ortho is making me a maniac! And, making my skin worse!

What did you do? Are you on BCP now? What happened when you stopped?

Thanks!

and worst of all, it gave me severe anxiety.

That's what the Ortho did to me, it make me anxious all the time, go to the store, anxious, go home, anxious.

[feeling unpretty]

i'm personally NOT liking YASMIN.. it is giving me headaches, depression, and other bad (more personal) things. however, my skin has been much more under control.

anyone know of 'natural' ways to regulate hormones?

i will be sad if i am doomed to stay on the pill just because of my acne.

[Fredericka]

I am 45 years old and recently my tendency to break out with humongous, inflamed, un-popable cysts on my chin has gotten worse. It was to the point where I was calling in sick when it was really bad. I have previously been able to control this with a regimen of Minocycline, Retin-A and Finacea, and I suspected the exacerbation was hormonal. In desperation, I asked my GYN for low-dose birth control. I started Loestrin24fe, and within 2 weeks my condition worsened, which I did not think was possible! I was discouraged, but I kept taking it. Now, one month later, the problem seems to be GONE. For the first time in many years, I have gone 3weeks with pristine skin. And I have light, pain free periods. So, this may be worth a shot, but stick with it through the adjustment phase.

[samwichxo]

i have personal experience with yaz. i took it for two years up until about 9 months ago. i started breaking out when i was 19 and while it wasn't bad, it still bothered me enough to try a BCP. i also used it to regulate my periods. yaz did wonders for my skin, i never broke out except for one or two pimples right before my period. and it only took like 2 months to see results. so, why am i not taking yaz still? it fucked up my body terribly. while it didn't make me nauseous, it made me hungry ALL THE TIME. i kid you not, i gained 10lbs in one month while i was on it. i started off at 130lbs when i first got prescribed to it, and when i got off it, i was 160. i'm 5'10", so it wasn't a huge deal, but i wasn't happy. i also had no sex drive whatsoever and felt tired all the time. on top of it, it was impossible for me to lose weight. i worked out 6 days a week and dieted religiously for 2 months and lost two pounds. TWO POUNDS. my weight fluctuated constantly.

if you don't mind a few side effects for clear skin, then try it. but it became too much for me and i stopped taking it. plus, it's definitely not cheap: it cost me $57 a month. good luck.

[musicmama]

i hated yaz! i gained 8 lbs in one month and so far have only lost 1 lb of it. also, my face broke out worse than ever. and i was super, super moody. i'm on kariva now and that seems a little better, I don't feel as crazy now but do feel nauseous and super tired from time to time. it may just be the change in the hormones. i also took loestrinfe a few years ago. i didn't have any bad side effects with it, but i did skip a period for like 3 or 4 months (can't remember now). the dr. had me come in for pg tests and was about to give me some shot to get my period to start. crazy! like the others have said, this probably won't be your experience. i think bcp is all about finding the one that works for you.

[oohlala09]

• i am 29 and have been on 6 different types of bc pillsThis year, i have tried levlin, sprintec, norgestin, Jolivette,Yaz and just started Lo Loestrin Fe. i was on Yaz for 6 yrs and never had a problem. i have Pmdd and Horrific back cramping due to an accident that led to the loss of a lung and severly fractued pelvis and back. I started getting more frequent migrains, so they took me off Yaz. Since then i have fought facial hair, weight gain, cramping, crying at a whym (i am not an overly-sensitive type), mood swings and the absolute WORST CYSTIC ACNE I have ever had in my life! i have used Trentinoin and Azelex creams, proactive and glycolic acid treatments and NOTHING has worked! i have always had porcelain skin, and now i have acne scarring on my jaw line!

I began the bc journey on ortho-tri-cyclen which made me crazy! Truthfully i found that the most consistant birth control pill i have taken, with the fewest amount of negative side effects was by far Yaz. If you follow the instructions, dont smoke and maintain a healthy weight I dont know why it shouldnt be safe...but thats between you and your doc ( which i am not). i am however, a very experienced consumer... who is now going to ask the pharmacist for advice ;-)

Edited by oohlala09, 12 December 2012 - 11:07 PM.

[oohlala09]

i am 29 and in the past yr have been on 6 different types of bc pillsThis year, i have tried levlin, sprintec, norgestin, Jolivette,Yaz and just started Lo Loestrin Fe. i was on Yaz for 6 yrs and never had a problem. i have Pmdd and Horrific back cramping due to an accident that led to the loss of a lung and severly fractued pelvis and back. I started getting more frequent migrains, so they took me off Yaz. Since then i have fought facial hair, weight gain, cramping, crying at a whym (i am not an overly-sensitive type), mood swings and the absolute WORST CYSTIC ACNE I have ever had in my life! i have used Trentinoin and Azelex creams, proactive and glycolic acid treatments and NOTHING has worked! i have always had porcelain skin, and now i have acne scarring on my jaw line!
I began the bc journey on ortho-tri-cyclen which made me crazy! Truthfully i found that the most consistant birth control pill i have taken, with the fewest amount of negative side effects was by far Yaz. If you follow the instructions, dont smoke and maintain a healthy weight I dont know why it shouldnt be safe...but thats between you and your doc ( which i am not). i am however, a very experienced consumer... who is now going to ask the pharmacist for advice ;-)

[iggysob]

New poster here, I wanted to share my experience I'm 26 years old and had acne since age 14. Took accutane 10 years ago and it cleared me completely, but then when I was 21 I started breaking out again, though this time only on my chin and jawline. I tried various topicals and a course og tetracyklin but nothing helped. Then I started taking Yasmin (which has 30 micrograms of etinyl estradiol + drosperinon, Yas has 20), and it cleared me up within a month! I've never had any side effects either. I recently started breaking out again with cysts on my jawline, so I just recently switched from Yasmin do Dianette/Diane 35 which has cyproterone acetate that is supposed to be even more antiandrogenic than drosperinone. So I guess in conclusion Yasmin worked really well for me at least for 5 years The downside to the antiandrogenic gestagens is that they give you a higher risk of deep veinous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism compared to older generations of gestagens...

[cakies223]

Yaz cleared my skin beautifully until I got a blood clott in my leg from it. I think blood clotts from birth control pills are rare, especially in young non smokers like me so the doctor never warned me what the symptoms of a blood clott are. If you are willing to risk it and take the yaz you should make sure to call the doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a blood cott.

[ProfessorPlum24]

I had absolutely HORRIBLE skin this time last year, and after going on Loestrin 24 Fe I have made an insane improvement!! Granted, I am using Duac, Tazorac and Aczone topicals as well, but the birth control really seems to have made a major difference. No side effects for me.

[everythingthatshimmers]

I gained a lot of weight on Ortho Tri Cyclen but had no problems on Yaz, it cleared my skin up quickly and stayed that way for about four years. Good luck to you.

[want2letyougo]

I took Yaz a few years ago, and my skin was looking really good. Barely any breakouts until it was that time of the month. I stopped taking it because I started getting this really sharp pain behind my knee and panicked thinking it was a blood clot :/
i now take ortho tri cyclen lo. It helped but not as much as the yaz did. I had to temporarily stop the ortho tri cyclen lo, broke out so bad when I stopped. I've been back on it for 2 months now, hoping it'll start helping now that it's been in my system for 2 cycles but I guess we'll see