Panic Attacks and Anxiety - Thank you BC Pill :(

Hi everyone!
I know I don't normally post something in a letter format here but I have gotten so many panic attack and anxiety attack emails lately that I was thinking about doing an online seminar about the subject. It is really hard for me to reply to everyone in a timely manner and at length to give you all that you want and need... So I was thinking with a Live Online session where you can hear me talk and ask questions at the same time - we might be able to make some impact in everyone's recovery!

Plus, it would be available after too for people to look at.

What do you ladies think? Is it something that would be of interest to you? If so leave a comment and I'll come up with a time and date in the near future. The event would be live on facebook.

Hugs and healing to you all.
~Helena

I hate myself for going on Yasmin

I have had a terrible experience with Yasmin. I started it in September this year (2014). Before this I was on Levelyn ED since 2008.

I decided to switch to Yasmin because of the so called benefits such as clearer skin, lighter periods etc. When I asked my doctor if he could prescribe this pill he did not hesitate at all. He didn't ask me any questions about my health or whether I had a history of anxiety or bloods clots or anything. This made me believe that this pill wouldn't be so bad. I assumed that if it had bad side effects he would have told me. I soon learned how wrong I was. 

As soon as I began taking Yasmin I was very thirsty, dehydrated all the time. I thought perhaps I was not drinking enough water. Note that I only ever drink water and ONE cup of coffee a day - I do not drink much alcohol, except maybe one glass of wine a month, nor any soft drinks. No matter how much water I drank I could not rehydrate myself.

I had a feeling that the dehydration was the result of the Yasmin but I ignored it as I did not think it was anything major. After a couple of weeks I no longer felt dehydrated. Instead, I begun feeling anxious and with this I had diarrhea. In the past, I have had very mild anxiety with diarrhea (I now believe this is from my other birth control pill) but it was never this bad. I was not sure if it was the diarrhea causing the anxiety or the other way around. At first it happened every couple of days and on weekends when I was catching up with friends. I thought this was just me being silly so I took gastro-stop (anti-diarrhea medication) and ignored it. After about a month, I was waking up with diarrhea every morning which continued into the day and would re-occur at night. I was having full on panic attacks for absolutely no reason at all. I thought I was going crazy. I could not eat with fear of going to the bathroom and lost weight.

Eventually it all got so bad and I started doing research on Yasmin. I worked out that it was the Yasmin that was making me like this. I decided it was time to stop. That was when everything went down hill.

Monday, October 20th, this year was my first day without Yasmin. I was still feeling somewhat anxious but I was happy that I stopped taking Yasmin and was looking forward to getting back to normal again. On Tuesday I felt worse, having a panic attack at work. When I got home from work I had terrible anxiety and diarrhea. On Wednesday, I felt even worse and left work early to go home. I thought that perhaps I had gastro or a stomach bug (it was this bad).

On that Wednesday everything changed.

Once I got home I had a horrible panic attack and it lasted for hours. I had chronic diarrhea and could not even have a sip of water without going to the bathroom. I was also nauseous. My entire body was trembling and my heart was palpitating and felt as though it was going to jump out of my chest. I had never felt like this before, EVER! I was rushed to the emergency room and put on a drip immediately. I had every sort of test performed on me imaginable. All of my tests came out perfect. The doctor told me I was perfectly fine and that I probably had a bug, to drink lots of water and I would be fine. I told him that I had stopped taking Yasmin and done research on this - I asked if this was the withdrawal symptoms of stopping Yasmin. He said no.

The next day I felt slightly better but as it got later in the day I was exactly the same again. And, once again I was rushed to the emergency room. I had more tests done and they told me I was fine and probably had a bug. I told the doctor about the Yasmin and he ignored me. I was sent home after the tests came back fine and I had a drip as well as morphine to calm me down.

I have not been in the hospital since then but my symptoms have not really gone away. I admit that I am better than I was but to this day (it has been almost one month) I have had diarrhea and some anxiety daily. I have seen a doctor about this TWICE. on the first occasion he told me this was not the result of Yasmin. He said the symptoms I was having were too severe to be related to Yasmin. On the second occasion, he told me that MAYBE this was the result of Yasmin but this was "rare". He said I would be fine after another week. He was wrong.

I have no idea what to do. I spend hours everyday crying and have had thoughts of ending my life. I cannot enjoy the things I used to enjoy and I hate myself for going on Yasmin. I refuse to take any other pills or to put any other chemicals in my body. I feel like I will never get better. I feel like there is something wrong with me even though I know Yasmin is the root of my problems. I know it has only been just under a month but how long will this last? I have been taking various vitamins and minerals but nothing seems to help.

I hate that doctors won't admit that we are suffering from Yasmin side effects. It's not fair.

I have days where I am positive and feel like I will be fine. Then on other days I feel like I am just getting worse all over again. I don't know how to help myself and its not fair that I am putting my family, friends and boyfriend through this. I have had thoughts of breaking up with my boyfriend so he doesn't have to see me like this.

Any advice will really help and I would really appreciate to hear some success stories from women who have experienced similar symptoms and recovered.

Thank you.
Camilla,
Adelaide, South Australia

A 28-day cycle

Are you also one of those women who were convinced to go on the pill because your cycles were not regular?! It seemed so natural back then, didn't it?! And not to say - easy: Just pop a pill a day and you were good to go... right?! 

Well, as we have learned - a pill does not fix it, just hides it... forces your body to doing something else even if it wasn't designed to do so.

Funny thing is that there are things you can do to assist in regulating your cycle to follow that "desired" 28-day cycle. Natural things... Let me tell you how:

This approach is for anyone that is trying to regulate their cycle for any reason. (A regular cycle is something good because it helps our bodies to maintain a healthy natural balance of hormones). And by saying regular it is when you have your cycles without any traumatic symptoms...

What else in this world is also working on a regular cycle?
- You guessed it - the beautiful, mysterious Mr. Moon!!
So there is something to the moon and the fertility of women. And you thought it was an old tail, didn't you?! Ok, you might think it is absolutely ridiculous that a moon can effect your cycle but think about it: The moon can change the flow of the earths waters; called the tides.. why not our cycles?! Ok, ok.. there may be no 100% proof, but the idea is highly interesting! (and I don't think the BC pill was a 100% proof thing either).

New Moon to Full Moon
This is considered day 1-14; where a new cycle starts for the moon. So it should do for you as well. It marks for a new beginning. When there is a new moon you should have your period. (Day 1 is the day you get your period).

Now, the Full Moon on the other hand.. What many stories we hear about that, especially now when the vampire movies and series are so popular. But if you go based on this, Full Moon is baby-making-time! That is when women ovulate naturally.


Full Moon to New Moon 
This is considered day 15-28/29/30 Your body is either taking care of a new baby or is re-generating to start the whole process again in a few weeks. As you get close to the end you will feel the water retention and bloating just before the period - just like those tides we were talking about...

Ok, what do you do with this knowledge? 
So.. There are these two natural oils you can take to assist in this adaptation. Adaptation to the moon and the natural flow of our cycles. It is simple, it is natural, and it is a shame this is not taught to women everywhere!

New Moon to Full Moon - Take Flaxseed oil 

Full Moon to New Moon - Take Evening Primrose oil  

In other words you switch with the changes of the moon. You can google for moon phases to make sure you are following the correct cycle or get a calendar that would mark it. I got an app called MOON and it notifies me when there is a new moon or full moon :)
These oils should preferable be organic.
Amounts? You have to try what works for you...

I use the flaxseed oil in my veggie and fruit smoothies or on my salad every day the first phase. Then with EPO I take capsules but can be very well administrated by puncturing a capsule and put the content on your skin!

Even if your period does not follow this cycle currently you can still try this and observe how your cycle will change slowly to adapt to the natural cycle.

Good Luck!!
Have you tried this - please comment!