Birth Control

[MrsFuchs09]

I need to get on some kind of birth control before the wedding and I should get on it now so my body gets used to it.

I'm not good with taking pills everyday, I like to forget things. I don't really want to put anything, "up there." I don't know. These are things I need to talk about with my gyno.

But before I do, I'd like to know...
Anyone have any experiences with birth control (i.e. bad/good side effects, etc.) that they'd be willing to share? If you do, can you tell me what brand/type it was?

Thanks.

[Brian's Bride]

I had no problems when I was on depo-provera. You even start not having periods, which I enjoyed! It was a shot in the rear every three months. No pills, nothing "up there," and you only had to get a shot four times a year.

Most recently I was on the Ortho-Evra patch and only had a good experience with that, too! You could put the patch on the upper portion of your butt or your arm (if I knew I'd be swimming I'd put it on my rear). I think there are more unhealthy side-effects with the patch, but honestly, I never experienced them. I think there is a higher danger of blood clots with the patch.

I was not good with taking pills everyday, too!

[horse345]

I was in the same boat as you back in February!

As far as remembering to take it...I set an alarm on my cell phone that reminds me to take it everyday. I'm pretty religious to it...if the alarm goes off, I drop whatever I am doing and take the pill.

I didn't want any side effects of the pill either (like gaining weight or becoming a crabby you-know-what). So they put me on the lowest dosage. I had 3 months of break-through bleeding...which was heavier than my actual period and was 2 weeks before my period, so it was like I was having 2 periods a month. They say to allow 3 months to let your body adjust to the pill fully, which is why after 3 months I went back to the Dr. and she just bumped the dosage of hormones from 1 to 1.5 and thus far, I have had no break through bleeding and no major side effects!

I would encourage you to go in now to get that taken care of, your body needs time to adjust and if there is a problem, you will have time to change it and/or get it fixed.

[MrsDM]

I've been on the pill since I was 16. I don't have trouble remembering, I kinda leave it next to my toothbrush in my bathroom so that everynight before I go to bed, its right there. When I first started, I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo. I hated it. I was looney, no joke! My doctor said that anything with "Tri" in it, mimics your actual period, including hormones. My cramps were better than they had been, although my period still lasted a full week practically.

I have been on LoEstrin 24 for the last 3 years, and I am back to normal, no side effects. I get my period for about 2-3 days, depending. I get some slight cramping, and my period is very light.

I agree with horse345. Go now, because you may have to find something different after a few weeks. Plus, who wants to have an inconsistant period right after they are married!!! :)

[FFC]

I've been on several pills, but I was on Yasmin the longest. I've realized since coming off of it my cramps are FAR worse, and I am a lot happier person. I was easily irritated when I was on the pill, but my cramps were hardly there at all, and my periods were shorter.

The effects are good and bad - it's just a matter of what you're willing to bargain. Plus, every woman has different reactions to different types of pills. I had TERRIBLE results with Depo - Breckan had great results with it. I was on my period for 6 weeks straight when I was on Depo, but Yasmin and Levlin 20 regulated my periods.

However, with the pill you can make yourself only have 4 periods a year as well.

[SkippyNXC]

I've been on the pill and depo...

i personally gained 30lbs on depo in about 4 months!. One of the side effects is that some will gain about 5lbs a month... my gyno told oh don't worry it'll eventually level off but after 6 months it had slowed down but not stopped so I stopped the shot and went back on the pill.

i loved the pill, the hardest part was remembering to take it everyday but i just started a daily routine, wash ur face, brush ur teeth, take ur pill... U'll probably just want to keep a supply of condoms handy just in case you forget your pill more than once in a row and you're in an amorous mood.... or if you're on antibiotics or something (antibiotics make the pill not work!!)

idk about the patch, it scares me cuz i see all those lawsuits for problems. i remember a girl i went to dance school with used it cuz you could see her patch when we danced LOLOL it wasn't pretty but most ppl thought it was a nicotine patch...

[savepaws]

I tried taking pills but I couldn't remember to take them. So I tried Depo and its worked well for me as a form of BC. I put on a little extra weight but I don't know if it was the depo because I also quit smoking around the same time. I haven't had my period in a really long time. But when I started the shot, I had a light period (mostly just spotting) for 3 months straight. The thing with the shot is that it has so many different possible side effects and can effect women differently.

[SkippyNXC]

also i should say, idk if this is why it happened or if this is why my gyno DIDN'T care i gained weight but... i was SUUPPPPPER skinny b4 the depo. I was a dancer (ballet not exotic LOLOL) all my life and i think b4 depo weighed arrouuunnnd 100lbs (give or take) so when the scale shot up to 130 on my tiny 5'2" frame most ppl thought it was a good thing n i was healthy... don't tell that to someone who's been skinny all their life! it KILLED both my self esteem and my ability to make a career out of performance...

but all birth control u can either gain or lose weight... i had no weight to lose so it was either nothing or gain... n boy did i gain... i also never watched my eating b4 bc n had to start eating healthi-er which stopped the weight gain...

now that i've been off bc for 10 months i've lost 6 lbs w/o any change in lifestyle which is nice...

[Heywie]

I think if you're just starting out, I would ask your gyno for a low-dose option. I was on Mircette for a few years and was happy with it, but it does make you pretty emotional. I changed to Yaz when it came out, and while it did help my PMS symptoms and I felt less crazy, it didn't regulate me so I went back to Microgestin (the generic for Mircette). It treated me pretty well!

[Whitewater]

I got on Depo-Provera first (which is a shot they give in your upper arm) and for me, the Depo worked pretty well as birth control because it took away any and all sexual desire! I absolutely didn't want sex or anything sensual, which really put a strain on my new marriage.

The first time I was on the pill I had some breakthrough bleeding until my body got used to it, and the first pill I tried made me break out and gain weight. Didn't do a dang thing to help with the PMS or cramps or anything either!

Then I got on Nordette and that worked for a long time. Helped with the PMS, didn't do much otherwise except make me regular.

After a while on Nordette (about 3 years) I started getting breakthrough bleeding again, and they changed me to Yasmin --- WOW what a difference. My periods (when I have them, I take the pill continuously and only have a period once every three months) are lighter, I hardly have any cramps at all, my acne on face and body cleared up and my PMS is virtually gone. I take the generic, Odette, because it's a lot cheaper and works just as well.

It was hard at first to remember to take the pill, but I'm on medication daily anyway, so I take it all together. It gets easier to remember the longer you take it.

Fiance and I are still going to use condoms as well as the BCP until we can afford to get him a vasectomy, which he wants.


Whitewater

[Chubear]

i went on the pill at 16 and loved it. Over the years it reduced it to just afew days, which was great.
Then a couple years ago i had a pulmonary embolism. This is a blood clot the impacts your lung. I had only 15% lung capacity, i couldn't stand up without passing out. anyway, got treated, all gone. But there was no trigger event ( which is what normally happens - flights, surgery etc), so they did some testing. I found out i have factor5 Leiden which is a genetic abnormality either inherited or just mutated in you, which predisposes you to blood clots.
Apparently 5% of the caucasian population of US has this but most go undiagnosed as it often causes not problems.
But for me, because of the untriggered clottting event, if i have another one at all i will be on warfarin ( rat poison:)) for life and i hate that stuff!
One thing with the pill is it does increase the chance of clotting as it is a hormone treatment.( others incl flying, diving, surgery, long distance sitting - bus etc and any hormone medications) So no more pill for me:(.
Once i met FH, BC was something i had to decide on.
Condoms ok: am allergic to one kind, but not fool proof
Pill: out
Hormone injection: out
Inter Uterine Device ( with homrone release) : out ( there is no proof either way that this incr chances of clots or not but i am taking no chances!)
IUD (without hormone release, also acts as spermacide and makes uterus lining not want to accept the little buggers): ok

SO i chose and IUD. Mum had had one years ago, didnt really have any problems and it seemed like a good option.
I was able to get it put in at the clinic i go to for PAP smears, sometimes it can be hard if you have never had kids ( cervix can be quite tight) so it took a while of me just lying there waiting for body to relax. But since its been in, it has changed my flow pattern, a little incr in cramps, but less head aches. Mine will last for 5 years before needing removal - which is about when we will be planning to start a family.
My sister had lots of trouble with mutliple pills, so after years of trying diffferent ones, she got the IUD with hormones, and it hasnt caused her any problems ( she got preggers twice while using BC before). SHe got tested for Factor 5 once she found out i had it just in case but she's clear.
Also a couple ladies at work have fallen while on the pill, so you can use condoms as well to for sure not fall pregnant.

AS a side note Factor 5 Leiden can also be a factor if you have multiple miscarriages - it causes, mother, placenta, umbilical cord to clot. Turns out my BM and her sister both have it as well - her sister had a few MC before finding out and is now on meds and happily 5 months pregnant

[gwenshack]

I've been on the pill for a long time (like seven years I guess?) and in that time I've only forgotten to take maybe 2 pills ever. It becomes part of your daily life, like brushing your teeth. I take it at night before bed - brush teeth, take pill. :)

[lilmsjess]

i've been on ortho-tricyclen(sp?), ortho-evra(patch) and nuva-ring(ring)

tri-cyclen-it was ok, no weight gain, etc, but i don't like having periods if i don't need to, so i always ran out b4 end of prescription lol....

patch-i LOVED it! i never got the square rash that some women/girls get, no weight gain, and it balanced out my moods....i need to get back on it myself lol

the ring-O.M.G. that's all i can say! i could put it in, and within 20 minutes, be screaming at the top of my lungs to fh and/or our roomate, over TOILET PAPER, or even something so STUPID as a couch cushion out of place!:bbeek: i have NEVER rec'd that to anyone! also, as soon as i took it out, within half an hour, i'd be "fine"...fh and our friend steve, BOTH tell me now, i'm "never allowed on that crazy b*tch s*** again"! lol!

good luck! fh isn't getting his vasectomy till xmas, which is his "downtime" for the offshore industry that he's in, so i'm going to try getting bak on bc w/in the next couple weeks, and the ortho-evra patch, is my ONLY option.....

[starsthrumysoul]

I took ortho tricyclin lo for 6 years with absolutely no problems whatsoever. I never got sick or gained weight, and my periods were so regular that I could pinpoint down to the hour that they were coming.

[MrsFuchs09]

Thanks girls for your responses! I'm going to make a gyno appointment tomorrow because today's Father day. :)

[Amanda&Jason]

You name it and I've been on it.

I start with the pill....got pregnant... twice
Then depo.....gained 90lbs in 1 year
then the nuva ring...If it falls out you wash it and put it back in? Gross!
the patch is out if you weight more than 200lbs.

I am currently on year four of Mirena (hormone IUD) and it is great! It does hurt going in but not having to stop in a heated moment and think about BC is fabulous!!!

[Katie-ryn]

I was on Alesse for 5 years. I just had to be taken off.

When I have a headache (which is pretty much constantly) my blood pressure drops when I stand (has since I was like 12, and it happens to my dad and all 4 of my siblings), which causes me to lose vision (eyes are open but can only see black), a severe headache (I'll already have one, but it gets so bad it feels like my head is in a vice and going to explode), the rooms spins, I get nauseous and my ears ring.

Yet when I'm resting my blood pressure is high, like 140/90. My doctor took me off the pill because it is known to increase your blood pressure (in certain people) which causes headaches and your chance of a stroke, and my fluctuating blood pressure also increases the chance of having a stroke. So she took me off to get my blood pressure back down to normal and to decrease my likelyhood of having a stroke. She says I should have never been put on the pill since I have headaches that cause my vision problems, and that I probably wont be able to go on any hormonal birth control again (but we'll see in a couple months).

The pill is also known to deplete you of B12, which of course happened to me. So now I need to get B12 shots every month. And my blood tested every couple of months to make sure my B12 is where it's supposed to be (and I also pass out when I get blood taken).

My body is just difficult... lol

But yes, if you have any sort of headaches or blood pressure issuses definitely discuss it with your doctor.


Of course this is horrible since FH and I hate condoms and we're both totally bitten by the baby bug!