bc doctor said was the same just a generic brand

[loz90494]

hi, so i take the pill religiously and never miss one, maybe take on in the month a few hours late, but im always onto it as i do not want to get pregnant. 3 months ago i have to get a new pack (i usually have yasmin) the chemist guy told me there was a generic brand (isabella) which was EXACTLY the same and i asked him over and over to make sure i didnt have to wait 7 days to have sex etc. I have a boyfriend of 4 years and we have never used a condom. It has been 3 months and everything was normal with the newer pill but i then went back to the chemist an got my normal one yasmin as it had the days written on it and i felt more comfortable with it knowing which day was which. I am just about to finish my first pack, in 3 days i should have my period.. fingers crossed. I am just concerned at the moment because for the last 2 and a bit weeks i have been bloated, headaches and feel like my stomach isnt digesting properly, i have felt a bit fatigued on a couple of days (although i have had glandular fever within the last 6 months). In the last few days i have had an aching lower back, which is worst when i sit for a while. My breasts are not tender at all and i have had no spotting so not sure if there is a possibility or my mind is playing games and i have just had IBS or something like that as I am very healthy during the week and not so much on the weekends so it could be change of foods? Please help hopefully ease my mind

[valerialox]

Hi ladies. This is probably the first time I've ever commented on something like this but just wanted to reiterate what I've read here and my experience with Isabella. I had been on Yasmin for 5 years and never had any problems with it, my skin was clear, my periods were regular, the only thing that I've had to put up with is the slightly worsened mood swings when I get my period.

However within a month of taking Isabella, I was a complete emotional wreck, month round (not just PMS). No other way to describe it. I was crying for no reason, I couldn't bring myself to do the things I normally do, everything upset me, and I just felt super pathetic. It was only when I stumbled across this thread that I realised maybe it was because of Isabella.

Also as someone else has mentioned up there, my skin completely broke out, particularly on my face and back. As I said I've been on Yasmin for 5 years and it completely cleared up my skin save for a couple of stray pimples around PMS time, and I was completely baffled as to why my skin had starting breaking out again.

I immediately ditched the generic brand, and made my doctor tick the "no brand substitute" box on his script to me. I have no clue what the difference is in the generic brands, desktop research says its the added "filler" ingredients to help bind the active ingredient in the pill, as well as different preservatives which can affect how your body absorbs the active ingredient. This is SUPER frustrating because I hate how expensive Yasmin is, but saving a measly amount of money per month is definitely not worth what I went through on the generic.

Oh and of course, within a month or so of being back on Yasmin, my skin completely cleared up, and more importantly my irrational mood swings have not been seen again.

[AccendoBlue]

After reading these I feel so much better! My pharamcist filled out my yasmine script with Isobelle without asking me, she assumed I wanted the generic brand. She assured me it was EXACTLY the same so I didnt care. Ive been taking it for 4 months and my moods are changed, Im irational and emotional. I could cope with that that because it slowed my hair growth and stopped my headaches...... but after taking a week break because I was spotting, Im now getting the digestive symptoms that everyone is taking about. My stomach hurts all the time and my lower back aches ALL the time. I wake up in the middle of the night with stomach pains....it almost feels like hunger pain but worse. Im going to stop it as of today and go to yasmine. Its not worth it.

[kristenxxo]

I switched from Yasmin to Isabelle after taking Yasmin for 8 years. I am still on Isabelle now, only on my 5th day, but I noticed a change that very first night! I was moody, irritable and extremely irrational. I am not someone who cries at nothing or often at all - but the past 4 days I have been getting upset at the smallest things and close to tears several times a day, for no reason! I have been feeling sick constantly, which is something that never happened when I was on Yasmin. I feel drained and emotional on this pill. It's horrible! I will be going straight to my doctor this weekend and changing back to Yasmin. Wish I never changed! Definitely NOT worth the cheaper price tag!!

[grumpyguts]

Hi Ladies,

Glad to hear that I am not the only one.. I was beginning to think I might have had a ovarian cyst! I changed from Yasmin to Isabelle (again like most others because the pharmacist suggested it and reassured me it was EXACTLY the same) for the duration of the 3x28 day sheets. Normally I will have a period which lasts between 5-7days max. In the time I was on Isabelle I was experiencing periods which lasted as long as 10 days!!! Needless to say I changed back to Yasmin when I had my next script filled. Unfortunately 10 days after finishing my last period ITS BACK! I'm hoping that this is due to me changing back to Yasmin and that it will all settle down and fall back into sync soon!

[Sydney2035]

I was on Yasmin for 10 years..... and i went to the doctors to try and change because my period had became bad again and my PMS was out of control along with the ache outbreaks, i felt that Yasmin had become inactive with my body. My doctor was reluctant to take me off it and convinced me to continue.  
When i went to get the prescription filled, the pharmacists talked me into trying Isabelle... i was nervous at first, however in just a few days my ache cleared up, my periods only last 3 days and its nothing in comparison to what they were previously.

However, i am onto my 6months with Isabelle, and after reading these posts I am experiencing some of these issues. I get tender boobs to the point they cannot be touched and my PMS is out of control, although my ache has not returned. I might give this 3 more months and return to Yasmin to really test this.

I truly believe that your body can become non-responsive to some medications over long periods of time.

[vaniilla]

hi i was on brenda 35  for quite a while then got changed  too issabella or isabelle ... i dont know what the names called i was glad too throw the pack out ...

i went with my mum too her doctor too see about something else ... and i said can u please redo my conterception pill for my break outs and he said isabelle was exactly the same as brenda ... i got home and checked the ingredients and the ingreedients are toatally different but i thought id try it out anyway ... within a fornight my breakouts come back ... i am moody as ever i felt like bombing everyone, i had massive stiches, when i went too the toilet everything including number 2 smelt REALLY bad ... i had headachs every morning and heart burn and hot flushes, and bloating pretty much everything that these girls are saying ^^^ ... and felt like i wanted too eat everything in the house too

i took the pack back too my normal doctor and told him all this he said hes never even heard of isabelle ... that most 'female" names pills do exactly the same and have same ingreedients or slightly different

my conclusion that it could be a cheap import immitation that there trying too get rid of ... my doc has ticked not too change the brand in the script for me

[Beauty_Geek]

Exact same thing happened to me... I wanted to ask did your skin clear up?

I switched for one month - September 2012... and got back on in October... now February 2013 I am having the worst breakouts around my jawline and forehead.

I wish I had read up on it first its so depressing. I have the EXACT same symptoms as JadePheonix. The losing weight was awesome though. LOL

But here I am 4 months later... STILL SUFFERING. Maybe its time i quit. I gotta find a better solution. I am stick of relying on something like this. What happens when we want to have kids?

All the best to everyone.... remember GENERICS aren't the same. Risk it if you want... but be warned there is a 50/50 chance it'll be better than what your on now.

[Beauty_Geek]

I know this is old... but I wanted to add a few things for people who google information and want answers. I too switched for only one month... It was the worst month of my life.... not only did I have stomach issues, hormonal moody issues but I also lost my breath. I train a lot and after running on the treadmill for  about 10 min I had a breathing attack. I was so bad I thought I was going to die. Even my trainer was scared!

Only good thing was that I lost weight. So not worth it.

Worst part? ACNE came back.... I switched back to Yasmin 3 months later I am still suffering though I am pretty sure this will be the last month of ACNE... but yeah Im going through a whole initial break out again! So If you are happy with Yasmin don't change. Its not worth it.

[JadePhoenix]

I have just started on Isabelle,

Literally the first month and so far I feel aweful. I too have been in Yasmin for approx 2 years and never a drama no stomach pains no weight gain nothing.

Now I feel bloated all the time, I am very gasy, mild headaches and irritable, but the main thing I've noticed is after the first week I had tummy problems, as if my tummy was not digesting food and it was stuck in there. I have never experienced any of the above ever! Until this.

I've asked my actual Dr if it's the same, which he said yes, however the coating is not. I have had many drs say coating on some medication can upset peoples tummies. I'll be finishing this month and switching back to Yasmin

[Kungka]

Completely agree. Yasmin has been my answer to moodiness/psm for 15 years now. On Yasmin I actually feel BETTER during the standard "pms" days of the month for taking it! Recently, on a whim, I too took the advice of the pharmisist who recommended Isobelle as an "exactly the same generic verse of Yasmin at a cheaper price" and have been taking it for over one month now.....OMG.  My bad moods have come back after 15 years of absence and I am completely irrational even to myself! I have had constant nausea for one month, zero appetite and my skin has lost it's glow. I am constantly apologising to all around me for "not being myself" - which I HATE and I have lost all of my get up and go. Tomorrow I am going back on Yasmin...cause I have a very good hormonal feeling that it will bring ME back.

[moodymiss]

Hello,

I don't normally write on these forums, but when I had problems with Isabelle pill I felt the need to do so!

I had a similar situation. I've been on Yasmin for about 6 years or so without any problems. I was at the chemist and was offered the generic brand Isabelle. I didn't see any problem in taking a generic brand (provided the ingredients were the same). The first day I took Isabelle pill and that night I had sensitive skin when touched, my body ached and it felt like I was getting the flu! I had an early night sleep and then woke up feeling fine - def not the flu! I continued to take the pill and noticed that my stomach wasn't processing food properly, I was gassy and had cramps. I was also off certain foods, my appetite decreased (never EVER happens) and I was massively BLOATED . Signs of pregnancy? That's what I thought! checked it out and it wasn't that. I finally went back to the pharmacist and explained my situation. He insisted I was wrong, and that this could not be because of the generic pill (that he gets kick backs from ;) ). I forced him to give me my regular Yasmin and the symptoms have all gone in 2 days. 100% back to normal! I told my dad (who happens to be a medical doctor) and he told me that generic brands ARE NOT the same, and in most cases there is a reason they are cheaper besides having the same main active ingredients. They are manufactured at different plants, with different standards. All of which can affect the quality of what you are putting in your body.

It could all be co-incidence that this happened at the same time as the pill switcharoo but I know my body, I know when something is wrong, and in this case I believe the cause was the generic pill.

Hope it helps!

[Arti Sharma, M.D.]

Hi there!
If you have been taking your birth control pills regularly then there are very least chances that you could be pregnant. Changing the brand but having the same constitution of hormones does not lead to failure of the birth control pill. These problems of stomach ache, bloating and headaches could be due to indigestion. Lower back ache could be due to fatigue or could be due to Premenstrual syndrome problems. All you can do is just wait for your periods. If you miss your periods take up urine pregnancy test. Depending on the test results it will be advisable to consult a gynecologist. I sincerely hope it helps. Do keep us posted.
Take care and regards!