Birth Control Recommendations

Trixie

So I go to the obgyn for my yearly thing next Monday, and I'm going to ask about going back on the pill for bad periods. I was on the pill for about a year until I stopped taking it because of side effects a year ago. I took Yasmin for a while, and then my obgyn switched me to Yaz since it was supposed to be good for helping periods. I was much more moody, my hair got less curly and more coarse and dry, and it didn't really help the periods either. I finally decided that I had had enough, so I stopped taking them.

Anyways, when I went to my new obgyn last year, she gave me some sample packs of Loestrin 24. I was so scared by my previous pill experiences that I haven't tried them yet. Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with this? Are there other pills that you can recommend? Thanks so much!!

crimsonshedemon

Mirena IUD... little hormone, your period usually stops, incredibly economical, no daily pill to remember.

CurlyHairedFarmer

I have been on Loestrin 1/20 for about 7 years now. It has saved me. I am no longer dangerously anemic, and I don't have to be in bed for the first 4 days of my period. It is a very low dose pill, so the side effects are not as bad.

I was on Loestrin 24 for about 4 months, and it was no different than my Loestrin 1/20. I went back to my old one simply because I could get it for cheaper.

Trixie

CurlyHairedFarmer wrote: »

I have been on Loestrin 1/20 for about 7 years now. It has saved me. I am no longer dangerously anemic, and I don't have to be in bed for the first 4 days of my period. It is a very low dose pill, so the side effects are not as bad.

I was on Loestrin 24 for about 4 months, and it was no different than my Loestrin 1/20. I went back to my old one simply because I could get it for cheaper.

Oh that's good to hear! I am anemic as well, and with college coming up again in a couple of weeks I really don't want to have to go through all of the pain and blood loss. Did Loestrin make you sick to your stomach or anything?

bamber

:scratch: :shock: ....

I totally didn't think my birth control could change my hair.

I wonder if that is why I went from being curlier to being wavier in the past three years...the past three years I've been on the pill...

Booker Ts Mama

I would have to second the recommendation for the Mirena IUD. I've had mine for going on 3 years and it's one of the best decision I've ever made. Taking the pill began to become a chore every day, so this decision was a no-brainer for me. You have lighter to no periods and you don't have to remember whether or not you took your pills. It is very freeing.

PJsMom

i have to place a vote for the Mirena, I joined the band wagon after researching and a friend of mine going through similar issues, who'd tried some different things said she'd already gotten it, and so now I'm a member of the club, a little uncomfortable the day of, but I've been good since..talk to your ob/gyn about it.

kellygreen49

I tried Yaz, it made me break out INSANELY. And I was on another for awhile called... Crysellex or something? Some offbrand with a Cry, haha. Ugh, it made me SO depressed and tired. I'd take hour long naps during the day, and I HATE naps.

I use a natural progesterone cream now. It works like the pill, you apply it twice a day. It comes in a metered pump that administers a quarter teaspoon. It's given me more energy, better hair (it falls out less), and clearer skin. Good stuff. I get it from a company called Arbonne. It's not a cure all, I still get bad cramps. But my periods are lighter, I have to say. Not satisfactory, but lighter.

oddityofwings

A fourth vote for Mirena. I always had really crazy side effects on the pill - my Mirena has been a godsend. It can cause side effects in some people, but for the vast majority it's a low-maintenance birth control option. Insertion is the only real hurdle to get over - and trust me, it's worth it.

CurlyHairedFarmer

I have been on Loestrin for about 7 years now. Good stuff for me, and no effect on my hair.

finch

5th vote for Mirena. It doesn't do any crazy hormonal stuff at all, and birth control that you don't have to think about AT ALL is always a plus for me.

I will warn you, though...if you've not ever had your cervix dilated, it is quite uncomfortable to insert. I got my first IUD when I was newly married and had never been pregnant before, so putting it in hurt like a mofo, and I ended up expelling it 3 weeks later :-?.

I had my Mirena put in 6 weeks after my second child was born (via c-section), and it wasn't that bad at all. I love not having to think about birth control.

Some pills vary with their effectiveness based on how much a person weighs. That's a dirty little secret the pharmaceutical companies don't tell you (I'm an L&D nurse). If you weigh over 150lbs., that can affect how well the pill works for you, so talk to your doctor about that if you're a fluffy gal (I'm fluffy).

xswagbaggage

I take Yaz. I love it. I don't get breakouts or anything. And I haven't noticed a change in hair texture.
but it did cause me to loose a lot of weight. i went from being a size 9 to a size 3 in 5 months. not complaining though! hehehe

I didn't even know that birth control could! =O

I once took an antibiotic for a chest cold though, and it made my hair grow like crazy. my arms were lookin wolf-y. i even had a little hair on my chest. ew. thank god i'm not on that anymore!!!!

solidgold

I use NuvaRing because I experienced horrible side effects (terrible anxiety, anorexia, hair loss) on oral contraceptives. I'm very happy with NuvaRing! Plus, you insert it, leave it in for 3 weeks, remove it for 1 week. No more daily pills!

shorticurlz

Apparently having your hair fall out etc when you are on the pill is not uncommon because it can affect your vitamin B levels. So a supplement could really help. I tried the implanon contraceptive implant and I had a lot of 'spotting' problems...and they had a really hard time getting it out of my arm so I now have a big gross scar so maybe steer clear of that one.

curliitommii

Trixie wrote: »

Anyways, when I went to my new obgyn last year, she gave me some sample packs of Loestrin 24. I was so scared by my previous pill experiences that I haven't tried them yet. Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with this? Are there other pills that you can recommend? Thanks so much!!

I dont know if you know the diff, but i was on loestrin 24 fe and its supposed to help reduce your period and provide iron (the fe) too bad my original gyno didn't tell me that and my period vanished!! I was already a 22 day cycle, with a period that lasted 3/4 days, I did not need to take a pill that made my periods less...

but anyway I know a lot of females my age that are on loestrin 24 fe, its supposed to be little to no hormones, I don't know anyone who has had issues with it, with the exception of me of course but I think that could have been avoiding by my doctor, and all my friends say they're periods are so much lighter!

peyroux

It's not a pill, but I'm on the NuvaRing (mainly because I can't remember to take the pill at the same time everyday), and am on it with minimal side effects. If you have an issue with putting things in your vagina, it might be a problem, but I don't. (That sounded bad, apologies.)

Naturalista

peyroux wrote: »

It's not a pill, but I'm on the NuvaRing (mainly because I can't remember to take the pill at the same time everyday), and am on it with minimal side effects. If you have an issue with putting things in your vagina, it might be a problem, but I don't. (That sounded bad, apologies.)

I second the NuvaRing. It's fabulous and you only have to insert it, leave it in for 3 weeks, then remove for one week to have a period (which in my case went from 7 days to 3 days). Then reinsert.

No pills to remember and the side effect profile is minimal. All hormonal contraceptive methods have essentially the same SE profile.

Now, the mirena users may not be aware of this, but one of the contraindications( or the do not advise use) warnings associated with Mirena is that you can't be a woman who has never given birth. An IUD is not made for a nulliparous (or non-pregnant) uterus to tolerate so most OBG's will not even suggest it to virgin uteruses. I'm a doctor and my OBG won't even consider it for me as there's higher risk of pain/discomfort and potential injury with the IUD. Otherwise, if you've had a baby and are looking for a contraceptive you can control this is a GREAT one. It's the most effective at preventing pregnancy of everything we have available today.

Good luck!

coilynapp

I have the Mirena IUD and it's a blessing. I was going crazy with the nuvaring. It has a similar dose of estrogen as regular pills even though when I got it they were advertising it as a low dose...it is NOT. If you are sensitive to hormones, I wouldn't go this way. Also my sex drive was KILLED by the nuvaring. And gained a lot of weight and was experiencing hair loss (not bad, but noticeable)

Now, it used to be the case that docs would not insert an IUD into someone who has not carried a baby to full term. The reason for this is not medical, but there is a risk of expulsion (due uterus not being used to having a foreign object in it). And just general discomfort. But I have not carried a baby full term and I have an IUD (so does my sister and so does my officemate). My doctor says that now, you should not have a problem getting an IUD. The fear was coming from the companies who make the IUD, not the doctors (there was a lawsuit in the 1970s I think).

Works really well very low dose of progesterone