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Die Schafe
Jul 4, 2007
Yup.
Yeah, I got sent to TGD. There's a thread in there now called Endometriosis and Menopause, because I felt weird making a catch-all thread there. I certainly won't be upset if anybody comes and posts in it about general stuff, though :)

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zantar
Jul 30, 2002
I tried my girlfriend's sugar pill from her placebo week and it did not taste like sugar at all :(

Is it an iron supplement?

DRP Solved!
Dec 2, 2009

zantar posted:

I tried my girlfriend's sugar pill from her placebo week and it did not taste like sugar at all :(

Is it an iron supplement?

Sugar pills - or placebos- are largely made up of lactose and other binders, which aren't very sweet.

It may contain iron, what's the name of the pill she is taking?

Moto Punch
Feb 3, 2009
IUD getting put in in t-minus 2 hours. I'm a bit nervous about how much it will hurt, or something potentially going wrong :ohdear: but it's being done by a doctor at the family planning clinic who is well experienced with inserting them in women who haven't had children, so I'm sure she knows what she's doing. It's only costing me $30 NZD which is pretty sweet for x years of birth control! They got me to schedule it when I'm on my period, I'm only spotting at the moment but that should be enough for my cervix to be more, uh, pliable, right?

pizzadog
Oct 9, 2009

Moto Punch posted:

IUD getting put in in t-minus 2 hours. I'm a bit nervous about how much it will hurt, or something potentially going wrong :ohdear: but it's being done by a doctor at the family planning clinic who is well experienced with inserting them in women who haven't had children, so I'm sure she knows what she's doing. It's only costing me $30 NZD which is pretty sweet for x years of birth control! They got me to schedule it when I'm on my period, I'm only spotting at the moment but that should be enough for my cervix to be more, uh, pliable, right?

Yes and many doctors don't even require that you are on your period at insertion, so don't worry too much about that. Just take some ibuprofen now so it has kicked in by your insertion time and be ready to relax later. Having someone drive you back home would be best, as you never know how you'll feel afterwards, but I drove myself home 5 minutes after mine.

The Cubelodyte
Sep 1, 2006

Practicing Hypnolaw since 1990
Grimey Drawer

Geolicious posted:

most guys are like OMG VASECTOMY :supaburn:

I have to admit, that used to be my reaction. After I had kids, I changed my mind and got a vasectomy. I'm not throwing that out there as cheap "take my wife"-style comedy, just that, I dunno, I felt I was done. It wasn't so much the loss of perceived virility that was holding me back previously, just the potential loss of options.

Or maybe subconsciously I felt I'd indelibly proved my virility after having had a couple of kids and it didn't matter anymore. Crap, now I don't know what my motivations were. :psyduck:

thebehaviorist
Jan 11, 2009

I just went to pick up my first prescription for lo loestrin fe at a CVS pharmacy and they told me that my insurance didn't cover it and that the cost would be $93.93 PER PACK. That's almost 100 bucks a month. Is this normal? I mean, seriously, WTF? Does anyone know of any way at all to get it cheaper? I have never heard of bc pills being that expensive.

kdc67
Feb 2, 2006

WHEEEEEEE!
According to this site, you can possibly get it down to $24 by calling 1-866-395-8367.

Yeah, my Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo started at $45 when I was first on it and kept climbing up to $80 per month. They offer a $15 coupon on their site. Whoopee. That's still absurd. Companies want to get as much money as possible before their patent expires. Loestrin's expires in 2014, and Tri-Cyclen Lo's is 2019. In addition to that, often times unless your insurance deductible's met, they aren't going to pay out on birth control. The other year when my deductible was met, I'd get a refund check from my insurance and only ended up paying about $6 of the $55.

If the card doesn't work out for you, just find out what pills have generics and ask your doctor about switching you. Wal-mart also has a lot of birth controls that are $9. The generic of the regular version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen is one such, and I have to say it's pretty nice. I would think, off the top of my head, if you REALLY need that iron supplement in addition during your periods, you could probably just take one on its own or in a multi-vitamin.

Tulip Candy
Jan 23, 2007

I love tuna fish and field mouse pudding.
I've been having such persistent cramps today, it's driving me insane. I got an IUD almost exactly an year ago and its given me no problems whatsoever. But today, man, today has been miserable and if this keeps up, I'm going to the doctor very soon. Anybody else has any advice or comforting comments for this? I really don't want it to be something like uterine perforation or something else terrible. I almost feel like I would rather have periods again and have the comfort of knowing that a stick won't just stab my womb.

thebehaviorist
Jan 11, 2009

kdc67 posted:

According to this site, you can possibly get it down to $24 by calling 1-866-395-8367.

Yeah, my Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo started at $45 when I was first on it and kept climbing up to $80 per month. They offer a $15 coupon on their site. Whoopee. That's still absurd. Companies want to get as much money as possible before their patent expires. Loestrin's expires in 2014, and Tri-Cyclen Lo's is 2019. In addition to that, often times unless your insurance deductible's met, they aren't going to pay out on birth control. The other year when my deductible was met, I'd get a refund check from my insurance and only ended up paying about $6 of the $55.

If the card doesn't work out for you, just find out what pills have generics and ask your doctor about switching you. Wal-mart also has a lot of birth controls that are $9. The generic of the regular version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen is one such, and I have to say it's pretty nice. I would think, off the top of my head, if you REALLY need that iron supplement in addition during your periods, you could probably just take one on its own or in a multi-vitamin.

This was very helpful. Thanks. Going to call that number and see what happens.

Ceridwen
Dec 11, 2004
Of course... If the Jell-O gets moldy, the whole thing should be set aflame.

Tulip Candy posted:

I've been having such persistent cramps today, it's driving me insane. I got an IUD almost exactly an year ago and its given me no problems whatsoever. But today, man, today has been miserable and if this keeps up, I'm going to the doctor very soon. Anybody else has any advice or comforting comments for this? I really don't want it to be something like uterine perforation or something else terrible. I almost feel like I would rather have periods again and have the comfort of knowing that a stick won't just stab my womb.

Uterine perforation is highly unlikely, it usually occurs at the time of insertion, not way afterward. Which kind of IUD do you have? Have you had cramping at other times during this year or is this the first time?

This may sound stupid, but have you gone ahead and taken any drugs for it? I was always quick to take advil or aleve when I got cramps with my normal period, but sometimes forget to now that I have a Mirena and get cramps much less frequently. I'll find myself super annoyed with them until I realize I haven't taken anything.

The other thing that sometimes makes cramping worse for me with my IUD is if I have cramping because of digestive issues or if I'm sick with something else. My IUD tends to make my uterus a bit more sensitive to stuff like that.

It is definitely worth getting checked out if this cramping is really unusual and/or does not let up though.

Tulip Candy
Jan 23, 2007

I love tuna fish and field mouse pudding.

Ceridwen posted:

Uterine perforation is highly unlikely, it usually occurs at the time of insertion, not way afterward. Which kind of IUD do you have? Have you had cramping at other times during this year or is this the first time?

This may sound stupid, but have you gone ahead and taken any drugs for it? I was always quick to take advil or aleve when I got cramps with my normal period, but sometimes forget to now that I have a Mirena and get cramps much less frequently. I'll find myself super annoyed with them until I realize I haven't taken anything.

The other thing that sometimes makes cramping worse for me with my IUD is if I have cramping because of digestive issues or if I'm sick with something else. My IUD tends to make my uterus a bit more sensitive to stuff like that.

It is definitely worth getting checked out if this cramping is really unusual and/or does not let up though.

I have a Mirena and thankfully today the cramping has subsided. It's just that besides the ovarian cyst pains (that I didn't have before this), I never have any cramping with this thing and even when I had regular period, they weren't this bad. But, now that you mention it, my tummy wasn't feeling so hot yesterday, so maybe that was the issue. I would have never associated one with another, but I'll keep an eye out on that, thanks for bringing it up. I guess I'm just super protective of my fertility and don't want anything to mess that up. :v:

Lanthanum
Oct 19, 2008

I wish I had a robot husband. That would be baller as fuck.
Are painful cramps normal with implanon? I got it in 4 weeks ago and am just starting my first "period" and the cramping is more painful than my periods when I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo. I hope this wont last long :(

Grushenka
Jan 4, 2009
Been on Cerazette for a week, it pretty much owns so far. I got some headaches at the outset, but I haven't gone utterly batshit or ballooned up like I did on the combined pills/Nuvaring, so hooray!

edit: the pills are really freaking tiny though I'm so scared of dropping one :ohdear:

JustinMorgan
Apr 27, 2010

Lanthanum posted:

Are painful cramps normal with implanon? I got it in 4 weeks ago and am just starting my first "period" and the cramping is more painful than my periods when I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo. I hope this wont last long :(

I was on various birth control pills for five years and I went off them and got my Paraguard, I was alarmed at how much bleeding and cramping there was. It was probably just as bad before I was on any birth control, it's ust been so long, I've forgotten. You may have been so used to the light, simple periods on Tri-Cyclen Lo that now your having more of a real period and remembering how much they suck.

Moto Punch
Feb 3, 2009

Marshmallow Mayhem posted:

Yes and many doctors don't even require that you are on your period at insertion, so don't worry too much about that. Just take some ibuprofen now so it has kicked in by your insertion time and be ready to relax later. Having someone drive you back home would be best, as you never know how you'll feel afterwards, but I drove myself home 5 minutes after mine.

Trip report: I took ibuprofen and paracetamol an hour beforehand. All went well :) The doctor was really nice, she explained the procedure really well beforehand and showed each step and which parts would hurt. In the end my cervix refused to open so I had to get a local anesthetic injected to relax it (with a giant needle :gonk:). Apparently this has about a 50/50 success rate, and luckily it worked for me. I won't lie, the whole experience was pretty drat painful, but it was over quickly. I walked/bussed home afterwards. Haven't had any major cramps or excessive bleeding so far, but I think it'll take a few periods for things to really normalise, hopefully things stay this way though! Anyway, yeah, it was all pretty straightforward and professionally done, so it's definitely do-able for a non-child-having woman to get an IUD with no drama. It's a shame it's so tricky for some of you guys in the states - on the other hand, there's no way I'd trust a doctor who was hesitant to put one in me, I was very nervous about perforation beforehand, but my doctor was very experienced which put me at ease.

copy of a
Mar 13, 2010

by zen death robot
I was put on a second birth control not too long ago after discovering I had endometriosis. The BC is a progesterone-only called Joizelle/Microdone. Usually I just use the NuvaRing and that's it, because I'm terrible at taking pills or I'm in a situation, like work, where I can't take it at the exact time every day. I have been trying to take it at 6:30-7pm each day, but sometimes I'll forget or don't have the time and can't take it until 7:30pm or, the latest the other day, at 9pm.
My question is, even with the NuvaRing, if I forget to take this Joizelle/Microdone at the same exact time, will it increase my chances of getting pregnant into the next day? In other words, should I just wait until the day after the next day to have condomless sex? I'm kind of a retard when it comes to these pill BC, I haven't used the pill in ages.

DRP Solved!
Dec 2, 2009

silversiren posted:

I was put on a second birth control not too long ago after discovering I had endometriosis. The BC is a progesterone-only called Joizelle/Microdone. Usually I just use the NuvaRing and that's it, because I'm terrible at taking pills or I'm in a situation, like work, where I can't take it at the exact time every day. I have been trying to take it at 6:30-7pm each day, but sometimes I'll forget or don't have the time and can't take it until 7:30pm or, the latest the other day, at 9pm.
My question is, even with the NuvaRing, if I forget to take this Joizelle/Microdone at the same exact time, will it increase my chances of getting pregnant into the next day? In other words, should I just wait until the day after the next day to have condomless sex? I'm kind of a retard when it comes to these pill BC, I haven't used the pill in ages.

Taking the progesterone-only pill incorrectly or sporadically won't make the NuvaRing less effective, so you've got that protecting you. The progesterone-only pill won't really be fully effective for your endometriosis if you don't take it regularly, though.

Have you considered switching to Depo-Provera injections or the Mirena IUD? It would take care of both your endometriosis and birth control and would eliminate your need to take a pill regularly.

SilverSliver
Nov 27, 2009

by elpintogrande

Moto Punch posted:

Trip report: I took ibuprofen and paracetamol an hour beforehand. All went well :) The doctor was really nice, she explained the procedure really well beforehand and showed each step and which parts would hurt. In the end my cervix refused to open so I had to get a local anesthetic injected to relax it (with a giant needle :gonk:). Apparently this has about a 50/50 success rate, and luckily it worked for me. I won't lie, the whole experience was pretty drat painful, but it was over quickly. I walked/bussed home afterwards. Haven't had any major cramps or excessive bleeding so far, but I think it'll take a few periods for things to really normalise, hopefully things stay this way though! Anyway, yeah, it was all pretty straightforward and professionally done, so it's definitely do-able for a non-child-having woman to get an IUD with no drama. It's a shame it's so tricky for some of you guys in the states - on the other hand, there's no way I'd trust a doctor who was hesitant to put one in me, I was very nervous about perforation beforehand, but my doctor was very experienced which put me at ease.

Sounds like you had a pretty funky doctor! Now, for your first few periods *don't freak out*. :D

copy of a
Mar 13, 2010

by zen death robot

DRP Solved! posted:

Taking the progesterone-only pill incorrectly or sporadically won't make the NuvaRing less effective, so you've got that protecting you. The progesterone-only pill won't really be fully effective for your endometriosis if you don't take it regularly, though.

Have you considered switching to Depo-Provera injections or the Mirena IUD? It would take care of both your endometriosis and birth control and would eliminate your need to take a pill regularly.

I've been on Depo before and it made me feel like absolute poo poo so it's not an option, plus I'm hard-pressed to find anyone in this area who will give me an IUD since I haven't had kids yet. :/ It's funny, a lot of the people I've mentioned my diagnosis of endo to have told me, "You know having kids helps, right?" I JUST turned 22 today.

The Royal Nonesuch
Nov 1, 2005

So the girlfriend was just given Yaz, and I had a couple of questions:

1) Does it particularly matter when she starts it? Her last cycle started two weeks ago/ended one week ago. She's generally irregular ( :sweatdrop:x1000 ) so it could start up anytime next month basically.

2) The doc said use backup methods until completing a full box. We're planning on this, but in my cursory reading of the info it said "If taken later than the first day of the cycle, Yaz is not considered effective until 7 consecutive days of ingestion". Is the doc just being cautious or did I read incorrectly?

3) Any other tips for a newcomer? Good "it's time to take your pill" reminder methods? Thanks ladies and gents :)

DRP Solved!
Dec 2, 2009

The Royal Nonesuch posted:

So the girlfriend was just given Yaz, and I had a couple of questions:

1) Does it particularly matter when she starts it? Her last cycle started two weeks ago/ended one week ago. She's generally irregular ( :sweatdrop:x1000 ) so it could start up anytime next month basically.

The only thing timing matters for is when she's considered to be protected. If she starts taking it between day 1 (the first day of her period) and day 5 of her cycle, she's protected immediately. Taking it any other time in the cycle will require 7 days of backup until she's considered protected.

quote:

2) The doc said use backup methods until completing a full box. We're planning on this, but in my cursory reading of the info it said "If taken later than the first day of the cycle, Yaz is not considered effective until 7 consecutive days of ingestion". Is the doc just being cautious or did I read incorrectly?

The doc is either misinformed or, more likely, being extra cautious. Many physicians and pharmacists will recommend using backup for a month while getting used to taking the pill regularly, as some people forget a pill or two while adjusting in that first while.

quote:

3) Any other tips for a newcomer? Good "it's time to take your pill" reminder methods? Thanks ladies and gents :)

Some people find using a daily cellphone alarm to be useful. I would personally recommend taking the pill at a time where events don't usually change from day to day, such as at 10 pm if go to sleep at 11.

Vienta
Jan 22, 2007

Hello again, BCM! You may remember me from such memorable posts as, "OMG, my abdomen is swelling because of Nuvaring," and, "Why hormones, WHY!?"

I'm back because I am beginning to suspect my doctor, though she means very well, may have less combined experience than the women in this thread. So here's the deal-- can anyone else who is hormonally-sensitive tell me of birth control that didn't give them cuh-razy side effects? I know, I know, everyone is different, but for the record here are my past experiences:

Depo: Extreme acne -- though now that I've had additional reactions on other progestin-only methods I'm scared.
Ortho-Tri: Crazy mood swings, Edit: and weight gain, of course
Yaz: Slightly brain-addled, hungry, mood swings, weight gain, lost my period after two months and felt pregnant the entire time
Alesse: Hungry, mood swings, weight gain
Errin/generic micronor: Hungry, acne, CHEST HAIR(!!!), lost period after 1 month
Nuvaring: Bloating, weight gain, ridiculous mood swings, lost period after 1 month

I hate condoms, and would prefer to not use them. I also recently tried the diaphragm, which is out because my boyfriend can feel it even when it's properly inserted and it hurts him. :ohdear:

So that's where SA comes in. I am a little scared to get an IUD because I already have horrendous periods (when I am off of birth control and can actually get them)/haven't had kids/have a super sensitive cervix. Not to mention, with my reaction to hormones I don't want to take a chance on something that may still mess me up and require removal. My last option seems to be permanent sterilization... which is pretty extreme. Help me birth control megathread, you're my only hope!

(PS. I'm in the U.S., and can only get the Rxs they have here)

Vienta fucked around with this message at 09:10 on Mar 21, 2011

Apollodorus
Feb 13, 2010

TEST YOUR MIGHT
:patriot:
So, my girlfriend has been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for a few months now, after being put on it due to serious problems with cysts late last fall. The pill is doing its job well: no more agonizing abdominal pain, and sex without a condom is also not producing any unwanted babies. In that regard it's been a big success.

The problem is, though she's just recently started exercising regularly, going to the gym 4 times a week plus additional rollerskating workouts (she wants to start derby this fall) and she's also been improving her diet a lot by reducing carbs and eating more vegetables, the pill is negating basically all of the positive effects these lifestyle improvements should be bringing. She's gained weight and her nose and chin keep breaking out. Moreover, her mood has been noticeably affected, and she is frustrated that she can no longer keep it together in situations where she would have previously felt only slight frustration or passing annoyance.

I had no problem with using condoms, and if she were only taking the pill for contraceptive reasons I would suggest she look into others that had fewer negative effects on her body chemistry. However, because she has to take the ortho to prevent the return of these cysts, she's kind of stuck.

Does anyone know of specific approaches she/we can take to overcome the side effects of the pill? Diet changes, supplements, sleep schedules, anything that would help her cope with the effects of the pill, which keep in mind she has to take even if she were not and didn't intend to become sexually active. She is tired of paying almost $100/month for a product that takes such a heavy physical and emotional toll on her that isn't booze.

pizzadog
Oct 9, 2009

Vienta posted:

Hello again, BCM! You may remember me from such memorable posts as, "OMG, my abdomen is swelling because of Nuvaring," and, "Why hormones, WHY!?"

I'm back because I am beginning to suspect my doctor, though she means very well, may have less combined experience than the women in this thread. So here's the deal-- can anyone else who is hormonally-sensitive tell me of birth control that didn't give them cuh-razy side effects? I know, I know, everyone is different, but for the record here are my past experiences:

Depo: Extreme acne -- though now that I've had additional reactions on other progestin-only methods I'm scared.
Ortho-Tri: Crazy mood swings, Edit: and weight gain, of course
Yaz: Slightly brain-addled, hungry, mood swings, weight gain, lost my period after two months and felt pregnant the entire time
Alesse: Hungry, mood swings, weight gain
Errin/generic micronor: Hungry, acne, CHEST HAIR(!!!), lost period after 1 month
Nuvaring: Bloating, weight gain, ridiculous mood swings, lost period after 1 month

I hate condoms, and would prefer to not use them. I also recently tried the diaphragm, which is out because my boyfriend can feel it even when it's properly inserted and it hurts him. :ohdear:

So that's where SA comes in. I am a little scared to get an IUD because I already have horrendous periods (when I am off of birth control and can actually get them)/haven't had kids/have a super sensitive cervix. Not to mention, with my reaction to hormones I don't want to take a chance on something that may still mess me up and require removal. My last option seems to be permanent sterilization... which is pretty extreme. Help me birth control megathread, you're my only hope!

(PS. I'm in the U.S., and can only get the Rxs they have here)

You probably don't want to try the copper IUD unless as a last resort, because it will make your periods more painful and heavy, but the Mirena might work, and like others have said the hormones are supposed to be more localized and not systemic so MAY not cause all the horrible side effects of pill BC for you. It's rather easy to get out if after a month or two it's giving you bad side effects. Usually pretty cheap covered by insurance too.

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte

Apollodorus posted:

So, my girlfriend has been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for a few months now, after being put on it due to serious problems with cysts late last fall. The pill is doing its job well: no more agonizing abdominal pain, and sex without a condom is also not producing any unwanted babies. In that regard it's been a big success.

The problem is, though she's just recently started exercising regularly, going to the gym 4 times a week plus additional rollerskating workouts (she wants to start derby this fall) and she's also been improving her diet a lot by reducing carbs and eating more vegetables, the pill is negating basically all of the positive effects these lifestyle improvements should be bringing. She's gained weight and her nose and chin keep breaking out. Moreover, her mood has been noticeably affected, and she is frustrated that she can no longer keep it together in situations where she would have previously felt only slight frustration or passing annoyance.

I had no problem with using condoms, and if she were only taking the pill for contraceptive reasons I would suggest she look into others that had fewer negative effects on her body chemistry. However, because she has to take the ortho to prevent the return of these cysts, she's kind of stuck.

Does anyone know of specific approaches she/we can take to overcome the side effects of the pill? Diet changes, supplements, sleep schedules, anything that would help her cope with the effects of the pill, which keep in mind she has to take even if she were not and didn't intend to become sexually active. She is tired of paying almost $100/month for a product that takes such a heavy physical and emotional toll on her that isn't booze.

Firstly, if she's on Ortho Tri Cyclen, and not OTC Lo, there is a generic (Tri Sprintec, for one) available and she should ask for that at the pharmacy instead; that should lighten the cost considerably. She should also go straight back to her doctor/gyno and talk about other options. There are a lot of pills on the market, and most of them work differently and affect women differently. OTC might just not be the right one for her. There are pills with different or lower doses of hormones; there's the Nuvaring which is more localized (I hesitate to suggest the Mirena since IUDs can increase likelihood of developing cysts, but it's an option). She might try going on a monophasic rather than triphasic (Ortho Cyclen vs. Ortho Tri Cyclen) pill in case that helps, too. Really the best thing she can do is go talk to her doctor, because there are so many options and she really doesn't need to deal with this poo poo. Good luck!

Apollodorus
Feb 13, 2010

TEST YOUR MIGHT
:patriot:

Eggplant Wizard posted:

Firstly, if she's on Ortho Tri Cyclen, and not OTC Lo, there is a generic (Tri Sprintec, for one) available and she should ask for that at the pharmacy instead; that should lighten the cost considerably. She should also go straight back to her doctor/gyno and talk about other options. There are a lot of pills on the market, and most of them work differently and affect women differently. OTC might just not be the right one for her. There are pills with different or lower doses of hormones; there's the Nuvaring which is more localized (I hesitate to suggest the Mirena since IUDs can increase likelihood of developing cysts, but it's an option). She might try going on a monophasic rather than triphasic (Ortho Cyclen vs. Ortho Tri Cyclen) pill in case that helps, too. Really the best thing she can do is go talk to her doctor, because there are so many options and she really doesn't need to deal with this poo poo. Good luck!

Okay, I'll suggest she look into these. But there are two complications:

1 - Will those alternatives still address the primary reason she is taking the pills, which is to prevent ovarian (or uterine) cysts? She can't take anything that won't.

2 - She has no health insurance at present, not having a full-time job right now. As such, she has no doctor with whom to schedule an (affordable) appointment. She had to go to a clinic, wait for hours, and miss a large chunk of work in order to get looked at in the first place. I don't know the details of her prescription, but it will be a real hassle to get it changed, assuming that's even possible given the problem in (1) above.

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte

Apollodorus posted:

Okay, I'll suggest she look into these. But there are two complications:

1 - Will those alternatives still address the primary reason she is taking the pills, which is to prevent ovarian (or uterine) cysts? She can't take anything that won't.

2 - She has no health insurance at present, not having a full-time job right now. As such, she has no doctor with whom to schedule an (affordable) appointment. She had to go to a clinic, wait for hours, and miss a large chunk of work in order to get looked at in the first place. I don't know the details of her prescription, but it will be a real hassle to get it changed, assuming that's even possible given the problem in (1) above.

1) Almost certainly yes.
2) Hm. That does make it trickier. Can she make an appointment at a Planned Parenthood or something? Did she still have to wait for hours even with an appointment? Are there clinics that are open on weekends or late or days she doesn't work? Time to make some calls from the phone book, I think. Sorry I can't help more :(

Vienta
Jan 22, 2007

Marshmallow Mayhem posted:

You probably don't want to try the copper IUD unless as a last resort, because it will make your periods more painful and heavy, but the Mirena might work, and like others have said the hormones are supposed to be more localized and not systemic so MAY not cause all the horrible side effects of pill BC for you. It's rather easy to get out if after a month or two it's giving you bad side effects. Usually pretty cheap covered by insurance too.

Thanks for your input. It seems like the IUD is the next logical step any way you slice it... If I do end up getting Mirena I will check back in with my results!

Lanthanum
Oct 19, 2008

I wish I had a robot husband. That would be baller as fuck.
My first implanon period is over! After... 4 days? Is this normal? A lot of stories in here had two week long spotting periods and I only had a couple days. Is this is a sign of something amazing?!

Reformed Tomboy
Feb 2, 2005

chu~~
Maybe it's a trade for the cramps you were having..?

Also, are you sure it's done? My period just came back after only two weeks off :( I normally go 7-8 weeks between. It did this last year at this time too, both weird and ugh-I-don't-want-to-deal-with-this.

fork bomb
Apr 26, 2010

:shroom::shroom:

Implanon is all over the place. I've had a 3 day cycle with weeks between the next go to a continuous rag for almost 2 months. The uncertainty is inconvenient but overall the coverage is so worth it. :cool:

Lanthanum
Oct 19, 2008

I wish I had a robot husband. That would be baller as fuck.
I'm not sure, this was the first one and I didnt get any bleed initially becuase I was told to finish my month of OTC-Lo. So I guess there is a possibility of it comin back within a couple weeks :( But if not :woop:

*crosses fingers*

Powdered Toast Man
Jan 25, 2005

TOAST-A-RIFIC!!!
My wife and I are new to using condoms, so I had a couple of questions that I couldn't find answered elsewhere, e.g. Planned Parenthood.

Basically, I have measured myself and I'm about five inches long, but from what I'm seeing the typical condom length is more like seven inches. What am I supposed to do with the extra? Should I pull it all the way down the shaft and sort of bunch it up at the bottom, or leave it baggy at the top? Or am I misinterpreting the dimensions that I'm reading and is that just "stretch room"? I ordered some of the snugger Beyond Seven condoms from Condomania and they got good reviews, so we'll see how it goes I guess.

Apollodorus
Feb 13, 2010

TEST YOUR MIGHT
:patriot:
Just don't unroll it all the way.

Educated Eggdicator
Sep 4, 2006

Powdered Toast Man posted:

My wife and I are new to using condoms, so I had a couple of questions that I couldn't find answered elsewhere, e.g. Planned Parenthood.

There should be very clear instructions and pictures inside of the condom box.

Rolling it all the way down and leaving the remaining unrolled portion at the base is the proper technique

fork bomb
Apr 26, 2010

:shroom::shroom:

Powdered Toast Man posted:

My wife and I are new to using condoms, so I had a couple of questions that I couldn't find answered elsewhere, e.g. Planned Parenthood.

Basically, I have measured myself and I'm about five inches long, but from what I'm seeing the typical condom length is more like seven inches. What am I supposed to do with the extra? Should I pull it all the way down the shaft and sort of bunch it up at the bottom, or leave it baggy at the top? Or am I misinterpreting the dimensions that I'm reading and is that just "stretch room"? I ordered some of the snugger Beyond Seven condoms from Condomania and they got good reviews, so we'll see how it goes I guess.

That's good that you ordered snugger condoms to err on the side of caution but tbh you fall smack dab in the average size, so standards condoms should work fine on you. Idk if you've ever seen videos of people blowing up condoms and putting them over their heads but they are made with lots of stretch.

This is kinda introductory sex ed but you should apply a condom by pinching the tip between your thumb and forefinger then unrolling the rest over your penis down to the base of your shaft. The extra material will stay rolled up at the base where it should fit snugly.

The only time you need to worry about condoms being too big is if they're falling off. That's why people who rely on condoms as their primary mode of birth control should immediately pull out after ejaculation (because as the penis softens there is a greater likelihood of semen escaping the condom).

Sulla Faex
May 14, 2010

No man ever did me so much good, or enemy so much harm, but I repaid him with ENDLESS SHITPOSTING
I know someone who doesn't bother with her placebo week, and just starts the new cycle anew every time, without waiting. I.e she just does a 3-week cycle with actives every day ad infinitum. She's been doing this since December.

I don't know enough about the pill to be able to give details (I'm a bloke) but I would have figured that was a stupidly bad idea. To skip placebos is one thing, but to skip the week-long cooling off period and just overload your body week in week out strikes me as dumb.

Any details/links on what sort of effects this might have?

ATP5G1
Jun 22, 2005
Fun Shoe

Apollodorus posted:

2 - She has no health insurance at present, not having a full-time job right now. As such, she has no doctor with whom to schedule an (affordable) appointment. She had to go to a clinic, wait for hours, and miss a large chunk of work in order to get looked at in the first place. I don't know the details of her prescription, but it will be a real hassle to get it changed, assuming that's even possible given the problem in (1) above.

Are you still in Pennsylvania? She should apply for SelectPlan for Women, it's a health insurance program in PA that offers free birth control and reproductive healthcare for low-income women who are trying to not get pregnant (if you're already pregnant or can't get pregnant you don't qualify because I guess PA does not want to encourage the reproduction of poor people!).

Otherwise she should also look into other state-sponsored programs, I believe similar things are available in other states.

----------------

I have a copper IUD, and since I got it in October my periods seem to keep getting longer--initially they were 8, and the last one trailed off to 14! And now my pre-period bloat seems to have extended to two weeks prior to its start from half a week to a week. Has anyone else experienced the extended bloating?

Also, will my body get used to this thing and dial the periods back a little? Is there anything I can do to counteract it? I heard that taking aspirin or ibuprofen for a few days before your period and throughout it can lessen it, has anyone found this to work with a CIUD?

(I really, really, really do not want to get on hormonal birth control)

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Anne Whateley
Feb 11, 2007
:unsmith: i like nice words

Sulla-Marius 88 posted:

I know someone who doesn't bother with her placebo week, and just starts the new cycle anew every time, without waiting. I.e she just does a 3-week cycle with actives every day ad infinitum. She's been doing this since December.

I don't know enough about the pill to be able to give details (I'm a bloke) but I would have figured that was a stupidly bad idea. To skip placebos is one thing, but to skip the week-long cooling off period and just overload your body week in week out strikes me as dumb.

Any details/links on what sort of effects this might have?
The lazy harlot will probably get cancer in a week or two, so --

No, it's fine to do this. Feel free to google "skip placebo week" or "continuous birth control pill" or something. Doctors often mention it, and I think it's also in the package insert for a lot of pills. Some women don't like to do it for whatever reason, but the worst side effect is a chance of unpredictable spotting. It's fine, she's fine, she knows more about it than you do.

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