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My doctor said I should take the first yasmin pill on the first day of my cycle, which was yesterday. I bled really lightly, though, and he did say that I should take it when I had somewhat stable bleeding. That kind of confused me. My period definitely started yesterday, but was quite light, so I'm not sure if it counts. Anyway, I don't want to take any unnecessary risks, and I know I have to use other protection methods for 7 days in case I didn't actually took the first pill on the first day of the cycle. So, will I be protected on the 8 day? or the 7th after I take the pill? This is all new to me, and I thought of these questions now, not before I went to the doctor.
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Apr 22, 2012 09:26
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Sweet As Sin posted:My doctor said I should take the first yasmin pill on the first day of my cycle, which was yesterday. I bled really lightly, though, and he did say that I should take it when I had somewhat stable bleeding. That kind of confused me. My period definitely started yesterday, but was quite light, so I'm not sure if it counts. Yes, starting yesterday would have counted. Start today if you didn't start then. For your second question, let's call it the eighth day for maximum peace of mind.
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Apr 22, 2012 13:57
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I did start on that day, so I should be protected, then. Thank you for the clarification, I know I sound way too paranoid, but I want to be the safest I can be. You have done an amazing job with this thread 
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Apr 23, 2012 03:22
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Hi everyone. I've been on several different combined pills (Yaz, Yazmine, Loestrin 24, currently on Camrese, the Seasonique generic) because I've been trying to find one that can bring my libido back up. This experimentation has been going on for 2-3 years by now, it's a good thing I have a patient and understanding boyfriend. Irrational as it may be, IUDs conceptually freak me the hell out, so I was looking into Implanon. Of course my insurance doesn't cover it, but Planned Parenthood gave me an estimate of about $400 for the whole procedure (yay being a poor college student?). Obviously every body is different, but is there a decent chance that progesterone only would help solve my libido issues? I have a very crude and probably incorrect understanding of sex hormones and sex drive. I was thinking since sex drive = testosterone and estrogen is the "opposite" of testosterone, not interfering directly with the estrogen would maybe normalize my libido somewhat? They haven't called me back about setting up an insertion appointment yet (got my estimate on Thursday) but I would like to be reassured a little that this might help more than another combined pill attempt before I spend the $400. I just want to want sex again 
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Apr 23, 2012 04:42
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Sweet As Sin posted:You have done an amazing job with this thread Thanks. There are an amazing core group of posters in here who make it so. The Who Posted? results are funny because there're 5 or so of us who have 100+ posts who obviously live in here  We are all glad to help, and I have learned an amazing amount by participating here & in the previous thread.Joonami posted:I was looking into Implanon. Obviously every body is different, but is there a decent chance that progesterone only would help solve my libido issues? I have a very crude and probably incorrect understanding of sex hormones and sex drive. I was thinking since sex drive = testosterone and estrogen is the "opposite" of testosterone, not interfering directly with the estrogen would maybe normalize my libido somewhat? If going on birth control is what diminished your libido, then yes. I don't know about the chemistry but I believe it's generally less hormone = more better  In that case, yes, your choices go from least hormone to most: non-hormonal barrier methods, copper IUD > Mirena plastic IUD (low progesterone) > Implanon (low progesterone) > minipills (progesterone or w/e only) > combined pills (I haven't worked out the difference between progesterone/progestin so I am probably using the wrong one. Halp.). Libido can also be affected by lots of other things, not least of them emotional factors such as depression, stress, or simply worrying about it too much.Joonami posted:Irrational as it may be, IUDs conceptually freak me the hell out I totally sympathize. I used to be absolutely HORRIFIED by the idea of having something implanted in my uterus. After reading about them again and again in this thread's predecessor and in here, though, I decided to go for it and I am so happy I did. I don't get periods anymore (okay I spot once a month in a moment of  SURPRISE DIDN'T THINK I WAS COMING DID YOU but then it disappears immediately), I don't have to remember to take a pill or get a prescription filled, I don't have to worry about taking pills in the wrong order, I'm saving money over the long term (and actually mine cost me $0 with insurance sooo)... No regrets. It's amazing. Implanon is also a totally valid choice and a good one in your situation, but I wouldn't discount the Mirena completely, either. Bear it in mind.Also, do you have insurance through your parents? Are you under 26? I understand if you don't want them involved in your BC decisions, but you ought to be able to use it without them seeing what it is you used it for.
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Apr 23, 2012 13:47
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Joonami posted:Hi everyone. PP should do it on a sliding scale based on income for you. If they do that, you could pay nothing for it like I did. =) FWIW and YMMV and all that, but yes, Implanon did make my libido go crazy. It was nice. I'm sure it was mostly a hormonal thing, sure, but it was probably piece of mind due to no babies worry. Of course, be careful and don't become a whore like I did (haha)...still use common sense and make sure that new guys wear a condom and all that. But yeah, if I were you I'd try to get it on a sliding scale from PP.
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Apr 23, 2012 15:26
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Butt Wizard posted:Also, do you have insurance through your parents? Are you under 26? I understand if you don't want them involved in your BC decisions, but you ought to be able to use it without them seeing what it is you used it for. I do have insurance through my parents, I called the insurance company/stupid Medco and asked but it is not covered at all. My mom knew I had been trying a bunch of different pills, but didn't know it was because I was trying to get my libido back until I talked to her about Implanon (her response to my problem was "yep, been there done that, it sucks, go for it honey"). Also, Skywriter, that is the PP sliding scale price for me. Apparently making ~$800/mo and my boyfriend making $1200 a month = I pay $400 even though we generally keep our finances separate. I probably shouldn't have written down what he gets paid, but have since asked him to chip in for the implant and he has no issues doing that, so. I don't think it's a loss of libido from stress or anything (maybe the end of last year when I was applying to grad schools, but it's been much longer than that). I know it isn't my boyfriend because the sex is really awesome when it happens, it's just that I don't want to do anything with anyone, even myself. It's pretty frustrating. We also use condoms because icky boy juice and I'm extremely paranoid and don't want no babies, I just want the extra peace of mind of another form of BC despite never having a failed condom usage. Thanks for the reassurance
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Apr 23, 2012 16:17
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Joonami posted:I have a very crude and probably incorrect understanding of sex hormones and sex drive. I was thinking since sex drive = testosterone and estrogen is the "opposite" of testosterone, not interfering directly with the estrogen would maybe normalize my libido somewhat? Theoretically, it's progesterone that suppresses sex drive, while estrogen stimulates it. (You have the highest level of estrogen right at ovulation time, and the highest level of progesterone when infertile, after ovulation. IIRC, estrogen stimulates testosterone production and progesterone will suppress it) Practically, when it come to hormonal birth control, theory goes out the window. Some women find they are really sensitive to one of the two hormones, or even really sensitive to a specific synthetic progestin, while other progestins give fewer side effects. It's frustrating as anything, but you really do just have to experiment. Switching from a pill to a method like a hormonal IUD or the implant can reduce side effects, just because the amount of hormone going into your body is drastically decreased.
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Apr 23, 2012 16:32
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Guys did you know that because women take the pill, men get prostate cancer?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DrO1cC1FgLg The kind of garbage that people say regarding birth control/contraceptives astounds me at times.
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Apr 23, 2012 16:51
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It's also true that you can have a reduction in libido if you are not comfortable in your form of BC and are worried about getting pregnant, which it sounds like may be a contributing factor for you. I found my libido was a lot higher when I used the Mirena compared to the pill, but I honestly think that a lot of it was due to how confident I was that the Mirena would protect me from pregnancy. The opposite of this is that when my husband and I got to the point where we actually *wanted* to get pregnant it was something of a libido killer for both of us that the Mirena was so reliable! Point being, it's not all about the hormones themselves. How you feel about the method you are using will also play into how much you want to have sex. If the Implanon makes you more comfortable, that alone may be enough to boost your libido. Ultimately, no one can give you any guarantees about how the Implanon is going to affect you. I went through the same thing when I was deciding whether to get the Mirena the first time. It was really tough spending $800 on something I wasn't even sure would work out for me. But in hindsight it was the best decision I could have made and well worth the risk and when it came time to drop another $800 for a second one five years later I didn't even hesitate.
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Apr 23, 2012 17:42
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Joonami posted:Also, Skywriter, that is the PP sliding scale price for me. Apparently making ~$800/mo and my boyfriend making $1200 a month = I pay $400 even though we generally keep our finances separate. I probably shouldn't have written down what he gets paid, but have since asked him to chip in for the implant and he has no issues doing that, so. PP is only supposed to count your partners income if you are married. I once filled in my partners info and they asked me to clarify that we were married. When I said we were not, they crossed him off my paper, even though we live together and it says "household income."
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Apr 23, 2012 17:52
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Bagleworm posted:Theoretically, it's progesterone that suppresses sex drive, while estrogen stimulates it. (You have the highest level of estrogen right at ovulation time, and the highest level of progesterone when infertile, after ovulation. IIRC, estrogen stimulates testosterone production and progesterone will suppress it) This is true. Other factors that play into the effect of hormonal contraceptives on libido are: 1) their effect on sex-hormone binding globulin (greater effect on this means lower free levels of testosterone and theoretically lower libido) and 2) the ability of the progestin to act like testosterone/androgens (rule of thumb is that newer products are less androgenic and thus would theoretically be expected to lower libido more). Butt Wizard posted:The Who Posted? results are funny because there're 5 or so of us who have 100+ posts who obviously live in here Oh jeez... and that's just in this iteration of the thread!
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Apr 23, 2012 18:08
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Medium Blue posted:Hmm, cervical mucus-wise, I've noticed that since having a copper IUD put in, the volume of fertile cervical mucus that my body produces per cycle seems to have increased fairly dramatically. Like the first time or so that it happened I thought I was spotting or something I just got paragard on the 17th. I'm still on my birth control pills per the doctor's orders, but I've also notices this delightful side effect. It's nothing horrible, just the vag doing something different that it normally does.
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Apr 23, 2012 18:51
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Definitely something I didn't expect. Seems also mildly ironic. Maybe it's the same sort of mechanism that makes periods heavier??
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Lanthanum posted:Guys did you know that because women take the pill, men get prostate cancer?!  Jesus Christ this is stupid. They are trying everything they can to regress socially.
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Apr 23, 2012 21:59
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The OP mentions initial weight gain with hormonal methods, is there any evidence that they could cause trouble/inconsistency in weight loss attempts? My girlfriend has been trying to lose weight since December or so last year, and I've noticed that she seems to lose weight great the first week or two, and then plateaus or re-gains without really changing anything. I'd say some of it is probably water weight, but that seems oddly consistent for water weight. She has really terrible body image, and I'm kind of hoping that it's some sort of medication related problem, because medication is a lot easier to change than anything else.
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Apr 24, 2012 00:41
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Welp, here's an update on the continuing saga of 'My body doesn't like having foreign body hanging out inside of it'. So after having my Mirena inserted on Friday, I had a lot of pain and vomiting, etc etc. You can check my previous posts for that. All that matters is that over Saturday and Sunday the pain got better. I basically felt like I was just menstruating although I wasn't. So Monday night rolls around and I'm at work (I'm a nursing assistant at a hospital). Between 9pm and 11pm I start having a lot of abdominal pain and cramping. This also included the occasional incredibly painful shooting pain in my lower right abdomen that lasted for around 30 seconds each time and caused me to stop in my tracks on more than one occasion. Luckily, I got pulled at 11pm from normal floor work and got to sit with some drunk guy who slept all night which was a slight relief. From between 11 and when I got off work at 7am, I was just feeling crappy. I took Advil around the clock and while it helped with the generalized abdominal pain, the sharp stabs that happened a few times an hour weren't touched by it. I had gone to the bathroom and checked out my strings which felt a lot shorter than they had been. I also was having some gross looking drainage which made me think I was possibly getting an infection of some sort. I was also crazy bloated and distended. I felt like I had just eaten a four course meal. So, after work, I went down to the ER and was seen. While I was lucky and got in right away since there was absolutely nobody down there, I still ended up staying there till a little past 2pm. To say I was exhausted is an understatement. Just glad I have a few days off work. Anyway, they did a few things: pelvic exam (the PA said I had a really tiny vagina and was amazed I don't have pain during sex which was kind of a surprise to me), blood work, sent off a culture and gave me some fluids. Apparently my white count was a little elevated, so they started me on some IV antibiotics, namely Flagyl and Rocephin. I also got a weird inter-vaginal ultrasound. Thankfully the ultrasound came back looking good and my IUD hadn't wandered off in my abdomen somewhere. My GYN said to wait a few days and see how the pain had progressed in regards to removing the IUD entirely. I really don't want to have it removed if I don't have to. Jumping through hoops to find a birth control to help with my very heavy periods and cramping has just been a bitch and a half. In the mean time, they continued the Flagyl for 10 days and gave me some Toradol for the pain. I'm only awake right now because I had one of those horrible stabbing pains in my side and it woke me up. It's almost like a really bad muscle spasm going into my pelvic floor. As soon as this Toradol kicks in I am going back to sleep for as long as humanly possible. Tl;dr : What the gently caress uterus? Why can't you behave for once?
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Apr 25, 2012 01:21
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Gosh that sounds frustrating! But it also sounds like you're on the track to getting everything sorted out. 
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Apr 25, 2012 02:19
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My IUD exchange is scheduled for May 11th.  I'm a bit nervous about this despite my original insertion being fine and generally being fairly relaxed about doctors prodding my ladyparts. Is it likely to be much different to the original insertion? The strings are right there so I don't think the doc is going to have to go hunting for them. I will be having it done by a  trainee male doctor though, for maximum comedy potential. According to the nurse who made my appointment he will be supervised by "a doctor who has lots of experience". She was very insistent that I could say no to having it done by a male doctor and seemed a bit confused when I said I didn't care. Is that something that a lot of people are really that bothered about? As long as the guy isn't so new to this that he accidentally shoves the coil up my nose or something, I couldn't care less who does it.Joonami, my main reason for getting the coil was that the pill wrecked my libido. I know it's a bit of a freaky concept but personally it's been the perfect birth control for me.
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Apr 25, 2012 18:54
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I thought I was totally okay with having a male gyno when the lady I'd seen previously was unavailable, but I actually kind of freaked out when the appointment finally happened. He was a totally nice older Jewish guy, too, not at all intimidating. He mentioned that my heart rate was through the roof and I made some lame excuse about being nervous at the doctor's office (which is kind of true actually), because I felt so silly about my reaction. But I have actually had a male doctor give me a pelvic exam since then and I was fine, so maybe I was having a panic attack for a totally unrelated reason that day. And there are definitely people who are morally opposed to the idea of male gynos. I guess because he's looking at your sex-hole and therefore is clearly thinking about fornicating with you, or something equally stupid.
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Apr 25, 2012 19:41
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radioaktivitat posted:My IUD exchange is scheduled for May 11th. I think I'm one of the few who has had this done. The removal of my original IUD sucked rear end, but only because the strings were not available and the doc had to go searching for the IUD with hooks and poo poo. If your strings are right there it should be no big thing. At worst one medium level cramp and it's out. The insertion of the new one wasn't bad at all, and despite the trauma of them having to dig around my uterus for the removal of the first one I cramped way less afterward than when my first IUD was put in. If you want to look back over my experiences you can click the ? under my name to see my other posts in this thread. As for the male doctor thing, ALL of my IUD related stuff has been done by male docs and I'm with you in the "don't really give a gently caress" category. I had my second IUD removed recently to start trying for a baby and (because my uterus loving hates me) my strings were again not visible, so I had to go to the OB rather than student health to get it removed. When I called to schedule it, the receptionist seemed surprised when I told her I just wanted to soonest appointment available with a doctor who was experienced with IUDs, rather than insisting on an appointment with their one female doc. It paid off too. The (male) doc who did the removal was awesome and even though the removal process was just as difficult as my last one I hardly felt a thing.
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Apr 25, 2012 19:42
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Lava Lamp Goddess posted:So Monday night rolls around and I'm at work (I'm a nursing assistant at a hospital). Between 9pm and 11pm I start having a lot of abdominal pain and cramping. This also included the occasional incredibly painful shooting pain in my lower right abdomen that lasted for around 30 seconds each time and caused me to stop in my tracks on more than one occasion. Luckily, I got pulled at 11pm from normal floor work and got to sit with some drunk guy who slept all night which was a slight relief. Man, this exact same thing happens to me when I'm on my period weeks on Seasonique/Seasonale - I don't know if it's the fact that I'm not bleeding every month or if levonorgestrel does weird poo poo to my body but yeah. I thought maybe I had ovarian cysts or something, but as it turns out I don't and my body is just kind of an rear end in a top hat. I went on it to control heavy cramps and bleeding as well, and obviously that didn't quite work out (though I'm still taking it because dealing with that for ~5 days every 3 months is still much less horrible than what I would be putting up with every month otherwise). Sucks to know that would happen with an IUD, too... I hope it goes away soon and that you can get back to feeling normal
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Apr 26, 2012 00:55
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On the subject of male versus female docs, I almost prefer a male doctor. I've had many of both poking around my bits years ago due to a horrible string of yeast infections and BV that wouldn't get better. Anyway, my mom pointed this out to me and having experienced both, I agree. It seems like with a female doctor they are so concerned with being all gentle and careful whereas a male doctor will get in there, get his poo poo done and get out. During my last pap smear my new gyno, a woman, was having trouble getting to my cervix because it was pointed down instead of slanted, and she was trying to be careful and gentle and it was way worse and hurt so badly, I just wanted her to hurry up and get it done. Of course, I'm not saying "all male doctors are this, all female doctors are this" but it is a tendency I've noticed. Don't get me wrong, I love my new gyno, she is awesome, but I would have preferred that she focus on getting the job done instead of being careful.
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Apr 26, 2012 21:15
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evelynevvie posted:It seems like with a female doctor they are so concerned with being all gentle and careful whereas a male doctor will get in there, get his poo poo done and get out. I've heard it explained exactly the opposite way, and it's the reverse that's been my experience: male gynos are more careful and gentle because they don't know exactly how much of a beating the vagina can take, so they err on the safe side. I've often heard of female doctors using cold speculums, literally shoving their instruments in, scraping very hard when taking samples, etc, because it's faster, and they know the limits.
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Apr 26, 2012 22:20
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Bagleworm posted:I've heard it explained exactly the opposite way, and it's the reverse that's been my experience: male gynos are more careful and gentle because they don't know exactly how much of a beating the vagina can take, so they err on the safe side. I've often heard of female doctors using cold speculums, literally shoving their instruments in, scraping very hard when taking samples, etc, because it's faster, and they know the limits. Yeah totally, it's just something I noticed overall, not in every case ever. The best pap smear I ever had (boy is that an odd beginning) was by a male gyno. This was when I still had a hymen and he apparently used a microscopic speculum because I didn't feel it at all. He was in and out and I had no idea. Keeping in mind that until I had first time sex a couple of years ago, pap smears by anyone were a horribly painful process. And this guy, I didn't even feel it in the slightest.
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Apr 26, 2012 22:37
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Bagleworm posted:I've heard it explained exactly the opposite way, and it's the reverse that's been my experience: male gynos are more careful and gentle because they don't know exactly how much of a beating the vagina can take, so they err on the safe side. I've often heard of female doctors using cold speculums, literally shoving their instruments in, scraping very hard when taking samples, etc, because it's faster, and they know the limits. Yeah, that's the impression I got. I started out with a male gyno that was a really nice old man, who was very thoughtful and careful. When my insurance switched, I had to go to Planned Parenthood for my IUD, and the lady who put it in was pretty forceful for a lot of it. When she checked the positioning of my uterus, she shoved her fingers in with no warning at all and then chided me for being tensed up. gently caress you, lady. The next lady I saw there was much nicer and gentler though. But that was probably because I was experiencing some pain every time she tried to put the speculum in, so she was moving slower and more carefully. Maybe it varies more with female gynos depending on how they handle their own junk.
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Apr 27, 2012 00:52
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I've also found that on the occasions where the doctor on call was primarily an obstetrician, I didn't feel like I got very good care. I always make annual exam appointments based on convenience rather than who is in the office that day, so I've seen a fair number of the doctors in the practice I go to. I guess since I am not going to be popping out any babies the OBs didn't think I was worth their time, or something. One of them scraped me so deeply that I bled for the rest of the day.  The scrape itself hurt like a bitch. After that it wasn't painful, per se, but I had this really uncomfortable tightness all day long. She definitely gave me the "Oh, that happens sometimes" blow-off. She was also in and out of the exam room in about two minutes, after making me wait almost an hour after my appointment time.I hate how they'll call you back even if the doctor is nowhere near ready to see you and then you just sit in your stupid gown thing forever. Also, I've been off the pill for a few months now, and my period still hasn't settled down. I was regular like a clock before I went on the pill. It was a very short cycle (21 days) but it was totally regular. So far I've had 26 days, 34 days, 28 days, 38 days, 24 days...the yo-yo thing is really annoying. I was under the impression that your cycle normally went back to how it was before the pill, so I'm a little frustrated that it still hasn't evened out.
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Apr 27, 2012 04:24
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RazorBunny posted:Also, I've been off the pill for a few months now, and my period still hasn't settled down. I was regular like a clock before I went on the pill. It was a very short cycle (21 days) but it was totally regular. So far I've had 26 days, 34 days, 28 days, 38 days, 24 days...the yo-yo thing is really annoying. I was under the impression that your cycle normally went back to how it was before the pill, so I'm a little frustrated that it still hasn't evened out. Were you regular before you started? Also your cycle (length) can change over time, so it may be settling into something new. It was also my impression that coming to a regular cycle again could take a year, but your fertility comes back pretty much immediately. Then again, I've never been regular (off of bc) nor stopped since I started, so take that how you like.
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Apr 27, 2012 04:58
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Reformed Tomboy posted:Were you regular before you started? Also your cycle (length) can change over time, so it may be settling into something new. It was also my impression that coming to a regular cycle again could take a year, but your fertility comes back pretty much immediately. Then again, I've never been regular (off of bc) nor stopped since I started, so take that how you like. Yep, I could set my watch by it back in college, which is the last time I was au naturel. I shouldn't complain, really. All the things I hated about being on the pill have gone away. My libido is back, and the vaginal dryness has cleared up. And although my acne has definitely resurged, I was expecting a lot worse than what I've got. Hopefully it'll settle down into something regular and longer than 21 days. Maybe the 30-plus day ones will be my new normal, that would be nice!
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Apr 27, 2012 05:04
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uberwekkness posted:When my insurance switched, I had to go to Planned Parenthood for my IUD, and the lady who put it in was pretty forceful for a lot of it. When she checked the positioning of my uterus, she shoved her fingers in with no warning at all and then chided me for being tensed up. gently caress you, lady.
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Apr 27, 2012 11:58
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radioaktivitat posted:My IUD exchange is scheduled for May 11th. Like Ceridwen said, if your strings are easily accessible, it likely won't be a big deal. Removal is super quick - you'll find some hardcore people on the internet who've done it themselves - and inserting the new IUD is typically less of a big deal than the first, maybe because your body is already used to having one. I'm on my third now, and this has been true for both of my replacement procedures. Good luck. Edit for disclaimer: Don't try to yank out your own internal hardware. You're on your own if you do.
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Apr 27, 2012 14:39
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So far all of the doctors I've seen have been in the "rather not give you an IUD because you've never been pregnant" camp. It's irritating because they won't even let me say that I know it will probably hurt more than it would if I've had my cervix dilated before, but I can handle it. Husband and I definitely don't want kids in the next 5 years, if ever, so I'd love something long term. Anyway, the compromise was the implant. I've never had good luck with the pill because it just kills my sex drive, and I've been worried that the implant might do the same. Has anyone had that problem with it?
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Apr 29, 2012 00:30
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Depends on the person, you won't know until you get it. Hope it works out though. I'm sorry you've been put through a wild goosechase trying to find a doctor to do an IUD insertion.
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Apr 29, 2012 01:17
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radioaktivitat posted:My IUD exchange is scheduled for May 11th. Mine is scheduled for the 9th! I'm also going for the Paragaurd, copper IUD, as opposed to Mirena, because since having kids, any hormonal BC completely kills my sex drive. I'm on the minipill, and still. I can be thinking about sex all day, and when my husband gets home, it's almost a chore to get in the mood. It's so frustrating! I'm nervous as hell. But, I do not want any more kids. 10 years of worry free/ surgery free/ kid free sex sounds awesome. I'm sure I'm going to be miserable the day of insertion. I'm breastfeeding still, and have no idea when I'll menstruate again, and my cervix is super high and tiny. :I did have a question: Any of you ladies with an IUD use menstrual cups? I was reading the thread and there wasn't a definite answer if it was okay or not. I'm going to ask my doctor, but I was hoping for personal experience. (My doctor is a dude, and he is awesome, he just doesn't have a vagina.)
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Apr 29, 2012 07:46
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Missa posted:I did have a question: Any of you ladies with an IUD use menstrual cups? I was reading the thread and there wasn't a definite answer if it was okay or not. I'm going to ask my doctor, but I was hoping for personal experience. (My doctor is a dude, and he is awesome, he just doesn't have a vagina.)  but then it also says it's not suitable for nulliparous women, which I am, so it appears the advice in the leaflet is bollocks.I wouldn't plan to use your cup for the bleeding you (might) have after insertion though, I'd go with a pad for that. Thanks for all the reassuring words about the exchange, folks!
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Apr 29, 2012 10:20
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^^^Thanks! If I couldn't at least use tampons, I'd forget about the IUD. I hate the diaper feeling. I was planning on nothing intrusive immediately after I got it, anyway.
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May 1, 2012 05:35
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I'm kind of curious if anyone here has any experience with migraines and Mirena? Did it have any effect on them? I'm on the pill right now and even though I've always had migraines, they've gotten a lot more frequent/debilitating and nothing gets rid of them except expensive triptan drugs. I can't afford to take the pills so often or being in severe pain for 24+ hours every few weeks. I've been interested in Mirena anyway for the convenience/effectiveness and hopefully stopping my pain in the rear end periods, but I wonder if it might help with the headaches too since it's progestin-only. Just from my experience with pills it seems the estrogen may be the culprit. (And before it comes up, I don't get an aura with the migraines and my doctor was aware of them before prescribing the pill).
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May 1, 2012 19:57
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NaturalLow posted:I'm kind of curious if anyone here has any experience with migraines and Mirena? Did it have any effect on them? I'm on the pill right now and even though I've always had migraines, they've gotten a lot more frequent/debilitating and nothing gets rid of them except expensive triptan drugs. I can't afford to take the pills so often or being in severe pain for 24+ hours every few weeks. Are the migraines more severe/frequent during your placebo/no-pill week? How long have you been on that particular pill? Do you mean that the migraines have been more frequent/severe since starting the pill, or just more frequent/severe lately? What have you tried other than triptans to treat the migraines? How many migraines do you get on average in a month?
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May 1, 2012 20:05
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NaturalLow posted:I'm kind of curious if anyone here has any experience with migraines and Mirena? Did it have any effect on them? I'm on the pill right now and even though I've always had migraines, they've gotten a lot more frequent/debilitating and nothing gets rid of them except expensive triptan drugs. I can't afford to take the pills so often or being in severe pain for 24+ hours every few weeks. I have migraines and used the Mirena for years. Here is what I wrote in another post to a poster with a similar question: Ceridwen posted:I second the recommendation to consider an IUD. My sister (migraine w/ aura) and I (migraine w/o aura) both have the Mirena IUD and have done very well on it. It has reduced my headaches both compared to being on the pill and compared to using non-hormonal methods. Although a few women seem to experience more headaches with it (not necessarily those with a history of migraines) it's not a common issue. For me (and it sounds like you as well) my headaches are very strongly linked to fluctuations in hormone levels and so the stabilization that the Mirena provides is very helpful in eliminating them.
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May 1, 2012 20:51
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DRP Solved! posted:Are the migraines more severe/frequent during your placebo/no-pill week? I haven't really noticed an increase in them during the placebo week, but I'll admit I haven't been keeping records like I should. I'm going to try and document them on a calendar or something to get a better idea. I've been on this pill for about 3 years now. It's been this way since I started the pill, it's just that I'm getting to the point where it's getting hard to live with. I've had the same problem in the past too (Ortho Tri Cyclen now and Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo like 5 years ago.) There was a gap where I was off the pill completely and it improved. I've tried pretty much every OTC pain-reliever on the market and they have no effect. Aspirin works occasionally, but only if I take a HUGE (probably unsafe) dose and I'm pretty sure it's hurting my stomach/giving me tinnitus. Like I said before I haven't been good about keeping track, but I'd say I get about 2 or 3 migraines a month that last one or two days each without the triptans. But sometimes I go through spells where I have many more or none at all. I've tried to look for triggers, but I can't really pinpoint a pattern. It's like my brain just says "time for a migraine!" every few weeks.
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May 1, 2012 21:30
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NaturalLow posted:I haven't really noticed an increase in them during the placebo week, but I'll admit I haven't been keeping records like I should. I'm going to try and document them on a calendar or something to get a better idea. For the financial aspect of triptans, there are less-expensive prescription drugs like metoclopramide and prochlorperazine that are just as effective and safe as triptans. Might be worth a try. Depending on how you feel about taking a drug every day, you could also look into preventive migraine treatment like amitriptyline or propranolol, which usually reduce migraines by a day or two per month.
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May 1, 2012 21:50
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