# A question for you ladies who take birth control



## acidicwithpanic (May 14, 2014)

I've considered discussing this with my doctor as soon as school begins, but I guess getting your opinions and experiences wouldn't hurt. Do you use the pill or the shot? Do you have a preference? And if you take psychiatric meds, has it interfered with the pill/shot's effectiveness? For a long time I've considered trying out a new pill or maybe even the shot so I can prevent any further school/work absences due to bad periods. Sometimes the symptoms are so bad I vomit and run high fevers.


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## TeenyBeany (Sep 3, 2008)

The thing with bc is different ones work better with different bodies... Ive tried the shot and it gave me MAJOR mood swings. I've also tried Microgestin FE 1/20 (the pill) and that made me break out like crazy... i'm currently on a different pill and my face has cleared up. Things seem to be ok on this one. It's a variation of Alesse where it contains Lovengesterol and Ethinyl. My personal preference is non-hormonal, the FemCap, but the bf is not on board with that method due to there being a 30% chance of bc failure. Anyway... I take Paxil and it doesnt interfere with hormonal pills directly. It's really just a hit or miss with bc! good luck!


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## PunkGirl01 (Aug 9, 2015)

What is that thing called... PMDD or something like that? Sounds like a mere birth control won't make you feel better. But if I were you, I'd stay FAR away from the shot. If you want to control your painful periods, the pill is the best that I've heard. Every body is different, and needs different things. Always best to talk to your doctor, they know what will or will not interfere with the medications you take. Especially since every medicine is different and the active as well as inactive ingredients differ in each brand that is out there. 

I'm hoping you find your relief soon.


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## feels (Jun 18, 2010)

I use the pill. I had to get on the lowest dosage out there (Lo loestrin) because the regular ones made be barf. I had horrible cramps as well and that's why I started taking them to begin with. Now I haven't had a period in years and I rarely ever get pimples anymore. 8) It seems to vary greatly from person to person, I feel like I got incredibly lucky, but I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.


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## Jene (Jan 13, 2012)

I was on the pill for a few years (I think I took Yasmin?) and it was helpful for me while I took it (predictable, lighter periods, clearer skin, fewer cramps, etc.). The only problem was that when I decided I wanted to get off the pill, my skin was not very happy about it, and it took over a year to clear up. I know not everyone's skin has that reaction to getting off the pill, but the possibility of that was something I wish I had known about when I first started taking birth control. But man, those period cramps are no joke. I hope you're able to get some relief from them soon.


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## lisbeth (May 18, 2012)

I was literally JUST about to post a thread asking the exact same question, OP. I'm about to start taking the pill and I'm super worried about the hormones interacting with my depression. I hear about women with no mental health problems whatsoever starting to suffer when they take the pill, and given that I have 10 years' history and about 10 moodswings a day anyway, this is a pretty scary prospect for me. But because of a physical health problem I have, the pill seems to be the best contraceptive method for me, so I guess fingers crossed or whatever.

A friend of mine has an IUD and swears by it - it's super easy, it's put in and then you forget about it for five years. There's a non-hormonal version so I assume you don't get mood swings, and I've heard the IUD stops some people's periods entirely (until it gets removed). But insertion is pretty painful even if it only lasts a couple of minutes, and I'm a coward, so not trying it.

Another friend has the implant, the little rod in her arm, and likes that. I think that can have all the same side effects as the pill, but at least you can forget about it once it's there.



Jene said:


> I was on the pill for a few years (I think I took Yasmin?) and it was helpful for me while I took it (predictable, lighter periods, clearer skin, fewer cramps, etc.). The only problem was that when I decided I wanted to get off the pill, my skin was not very happy about it, and it took over a year to clear up. I know not everyone's skin has that reaction to getting off the pill, but the possibility of that was something I wish I had known about when I first started taking birth control. But man, those period cramps are no joke. I hope you're able to get some relief from them soon.


This gives me hope! So you didn't get any mood changes with Yasmin? If you don't mind me asking, did you get weight changes? That's something I'm a little concerned about too.


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## lisbeth (May 18, 2012)

Apparently Yasmin has a 6 times higher risk of blood clots than any other pill, and Bayer has been sued for $970mil for it! Niiiiice. Wish me luck ladies. Let's hope I don't go blind or die.


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## scintilla (Dec 10, 2008)

lisbeth said:


> Apparently Yasmin has a 6 times higher risk of blood clots than any other pill, and Bayer has been sued for $970mil for it! Niiiiice. Wish me luck ladies. Let's hope I don't go blind or die.


Is it not possible to ask for something else? Just asking out of curiosity. I wouldn't be overly happy if my doctor wanted to put me on a pill like Yasmin, given it's history.

Personally, I really like the idea of an IUD. It's one of the most effective forms of birth control and I like that you don't need to worry about remembering to take a pill or anything. I would definitely get one if it wasn't so expensive here.


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## lisbeth (May 18, 2012)

scintilla said:


> Is it not possible to ask for something else? Just asking out of curiosity. I wouldn't be overly happy if my doctor wanted to put me on a pill like Yasmin, given it's history.
> 
> Personally, I really like the idea of an IUD. It's one of the most effective forms of birth control and I like that you don't need to worry about remembering to take a pill or anything. I would definitely get one if it wasn't so expensive here.


I mean, I could, but the only pills I can take are the high estrogen ones like Yasmin, Diane/tte etc and I think the other options are the same or worse for the blood clot risk.  I've spent all day researching online to see if there are alternative options, but this is pretty much what I'm stuck with for the time being, I think.

I agree re: the IUD - most practical and safe option. I don't like the idea of having something stuck in my body that I can't remove myself, though.


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## Jene (Jan 13, 2012)

lisbeth said:


> I was literally JUST about to post a thread asking the exact same question, OP. I'm about to start taking the pill and I'm super worried about the hormones interacting with my depression. I hear about women with no mental health problems whatsoever starting to suffer when they take the pill, and given that I have 10 years' history and about 10 moodswings a day anyway, this is a pretty scary prospect for me. But because of a physical health problem I have, the pill seems to be the best contraceptive method for me, so I guess fingers crossed or whatever.
> 
> A friend of mine has an IUD and swears by it - it's super easy, it's put in and then you forget about it for five years. There's a non-hormonal version so I assume you don't get mood swings, and I've heard the IUD stops some people's periods entirely (until it gets removed). But insertion is pretty painful even if it only lasts a couple of minutes, and I'm a coward, so not trying it.
> 
> ...


I didn't have any pill-caused mood or weight changes that I know of, but I was taking the pill through pretty much all my teen years, so of course I had my share of mood swings. It's hard to know if those kinds of things were partially caused or made worse by of the pill, or just what comes with the territory of being a teenager.


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## Amorphousanomaly (Jun 20, 2012)

I used to use the ring but it was really uncomfortable because it was too big for me, it was about $90 a month too. Now I take the pill and it's free. Big improvement.
I never had any acne or heavy periods/cramping so I don't know how it effects that.


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## victoriangirl (Jan 2, 2009)

I have been using the pill since the age of 17, so that is more than 15 years on the pill. On doctor's advice, I did stop taking it once or twice, but now I know NEVER ever to do that. The doctor was apparently old fashioned and was of the opinion that female bodies need a rest from the additional hormones - which is a notion all other doctors I saw opposed, by the way. 

I could not do without the pill - without it my skin breaks apart & my periods are incredibly painful, heavy and stressful etc. 

I have used almost all of the brand names out there and it is simply all about finding the right one for you. One can work right for about 10 years, after which you might want to choose to switch due to heavier periods, spotting or other symptoms. It just means that your body needs a change, so you simply switch brands and stick with the one that works best for you. (do give each brand at least 6 months)

When you are taking medication for depression and anxiety, you need to inform your doctors about your pill use and ask about the possible additional side effects. They might also advise you to use extra precaution when it comes to sex (i.e. using a condom - which you should always consider anyways when on the pill, with so many STD's around)


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## lisbeth (May 18, 2012)

Any ladies here ever had unexpected bleeding while on the pill?


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## acidicwithpanic (May 14, 2014)

lisbeth said:


> Any ladies here ever had unexpected bleeding while on the pill?


I have a friend that experienced abdominal pain and excessive bleeding while trying it out. But most people I've talked to don't have extreme horror stories.


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## Asrais (Aug 22, 2015)

I was on the pill for over 10 years, after that, I had the implant for 3 years. Before that, I was quiet/ shy, but never depressed, never anxious. 

In the time I was taking bc, I suffered from depression and gained about 35kg (nearly 80 pounds). I was diagnosed with poly-cystic ovary syndrome, despite the fact that ultrasounds showed no cysts on my ovaries, I had hormone imbalances and virtually no periods.

It took me along time to make the link between bc and my health issues - I stopped using it since last Christmas. It took about 6 months for me to notice a difference, but now, my depression has lifted and I have lost most of my excess weight. Most interesting though is that my cycle has normalized - I would have to have a blood test to be sure, but I believe my hormones are back in normal range - does that mean that the artificial hormones I put in my body was causing my problems, I don't know, but it seems probable. 

I will not be taking hormonal bc again, ever. I am considering a copper IUD, but have not made up my mind yet.


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

i've taken the pill and i loved it. my periods went away, my crazy pms calmed down. but i couldn't keep taking it cause it elevated my blood pressure. i use the impant now- nexplanon- and it's almost as good, doesn't do anything for pms though.


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## lisbeth (May 18, 2012)

acidicwithpanic said:


> I have a friend that experienced abdominal pain and excessive bleeding while trying it out. But most people I've talked to don't have extreme horror stories.


It's just a small amount of blood, no pain. I have heard of people getting spotting on the pill so I'm not super worried, but on the other hand, last time I had random bleeding it was a polyp I had to get surgically removed. My instinct is to go to the doctor but I don't wanna waste their time if it's normal.


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## equiiaddict (Jun 27, 2006)

Birth control is very finicky. What works for one person may or may not work for another. Personally, I've tried a bunch of methods and I think I finally found one that works. 
I've been on like 4 different pills (Yaz, Microgestin FE, etc) but had tons of side effects. Headaches, nausea, etc.
I was even on the Nexplanon implant for nearly 3 years (which seemed great at first but the spotting quickly got to be annoying,) and now I'm on Mylan (Noreth/Ethin FE 1/20) and it has been wonderful.
I never wanted to deal with the patch, getting any kind of IUD absolutely freaks me out, and I've heard that the shot makes you gain a lot of weight. So my options are fairly limited, lol. Just glad I finally found a pill that seems to agree with me.


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## hellollama (Aug 12, 2015)

I take the pill daily and my period usually comes around the same time each month. The pill also warns me when my PMS comes, haha.


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## 8888 (Oct 16, 2014)

Thanks for posting this. I'm curious to see what other women say, as I might start taking birth control soon. I have a condition called PCOS.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I was on it for a little over a year and it completely killed my sex drive. Also killed my desire for alcohol. I felt like a very calm pregnant cow. Only thing good about it was the light periods. So light I didn't even need a tampon.


Never again.


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## Todd124 (Aug 31, 2015)

I used to be on the pill and it really worked for me. It also helped lighten my periods which was a complete bonus. 
Plus as all of the days of the week are clearly marked out on the packet, it made it easier to remember if I had taken it or not.

Also if you start taking the pill on the first day of your period it becomes effective from that point on, otherwise I think it's 7 days until it's fully effective.

Originally I was going to get the implant however I had a friend in the past who had it and she was very ill due to it, it also moved down her arm and you could feel it through her skin.


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