|
Candygram posted:So it has been four months since my Implanon has been inserted. I'm on my second implanon so it's been ~5 years, and I'm still irregular (though I've never been good at keeping track on my calendar or w/e). I go through bouts of being "aware" of the implant, sometimes with itchiness or a bit of slight discomfort, but these are few and far between now. You're a n00b so it's still very fresh in your body and mind. If it's driving you crazy, maybe try some OTC anti-histamine cream. You could also wrap it in an ace bandage and see if the pressure helps. If you must scratch the itch, maybe try with a puff scrubbie instead of your nails?
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 02:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 21:27 |
|
|
Candygram posted:So it has been four months since my Implanon has been inserted. Itching out of nowhere is weird and I would give your doctor/clinic a call. They'll probably have some suggestions over the phone.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 02:59
|
|
i like nice words
|
Candygram posted:So it has been four months since my Implanon has been inserted. I've had mine a little over a year and I'm still totally irregular. I started using a period tracker for no reason other than to go "Oh, so that's when I had it last" And the itching is weird, I didn't have any itching after the initial healing period.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 20:37
|
|
|
Posted this over in the Sex Questions Megathread, and someone suggested I bring it here. I found out today that I have a gigantic septated ovarian cyst that a) hurts like twelve motherfuckers and b) apparently has to get cut out of me this weekend. I am, to say the least, displeased. I've never had anything like this before. Since I got my Mirena IUD I haven't even ovulated, and it's been a glorious two years of not feeling like poo poo and bleeding half the time, so I guess I got spoiled. Now, though, my left pelvic area seems to think it's suffering from a gunshot wound that is on fire and being stepped on, and I went from packing for a major cross-country move in two weeks to canceling loving everything and clearing my schedule to basically lie in bed for god knows how long, eating ice cream and whining nonstop. So here's my question: how bad is this surgery gonna be? Has anybody else here had ovarian cysts removed by laparoscopy? Is my primary care provider's estimate of "like four days" of downtime as completely full of poo poo as I suspect? I'm a critical care nurse, which you'd think would mean I know what I'm getting into, but if nobody's making GBS threads blood and everybody's heart is beating okay, I get really confused and anxious. I don't ever get patients with low enough acuity to have anything laparoscopic done. Worse, I have zero friends with any experience in this, and I still don't think my husband really gets how ridiculously out-of-proportion this pain is. Am I just a giant baby? What the gently caress, body?
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 05:33
|
|
|
elise the great posted:So here's my question: how bad is this surgery gonna be? Has anybody else here had ovarian cysts removed by laparoscopy? Is my primary care provider's estimate of "like four days" of downtime as completely full of poo poo as I suspect? One of the writers for a blog I read recently had a laparoscopic tubal ligation done. Her reflections on recovery are here: http://www.xojane.com/healthy/totally-tubal-adventures-recovery-and-unexpected-body-image-crisis Also, I think it's normal to wig out about internal pain far more than say, a massive scrape on your arm. You can't see it, you can't easily monitor its source, etc. Did your doc prescribe any pain killers pre-op?
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 15:12
|
|
|
fine-tune posted:One of the writers for a blog I read recently had a laparoscopic tubal ligation done. Her reflections on recovery are here: http://www.xojane.com/healthy/totally-tubal-adventures-recovery-and-unexpected-body-image-crisis That is a really uplifting and encouraging blog post. Thank you so much for linking it; it's much easier to find horror stories online than to find good stories, and most people are so focused on the choppin' part that they leave out the psychological impact. I have Norco, but I'm trying to go easy on it; 600mg ibuprofen q6 seems to work pretty well, and I don't want to give my poor body a head start on constipation when I know I'm gonna get blasted with fentanyl later in the week. The post you linked was dead on with the irritability, though; I don't even notice I'm in pain most of the time, I'm just ultra-bitchy and hateful and can't get comfortable, and then my husband force-feeds me ibuprofen and suddenly I'm laughing at cat videos again. One of my male acquaintancees just spent about thirty minutes trying to explain to me that it hurts way worse to get kicked in the balls than it does to have an ovarian cyst. His rationale seems to be based mostly on how "ladies are used to having some tummy pain" and "it's not unusual for ovaries to hurt a little." I hope he comes over to see me so I can show him how "unusual" it is to get kneed in the groin.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 18:38
|
|
|
elise the great posted:One of my male acquaintancees just spent about thirty minutes trying to explain to me that it hurts way worse to get kicked in the balls than it does to have an ovarian cyst. His rationale seems to be based mostly on how "ladies are used to having some tummy pain" and "it's not unusual for ovaries to hurt a little." I hope he comes over to see me so I can show him how "unusual" it is to get kneed in the groin. gently caress that dude. I've ovarian cysts, too, and yeah, gently caress that dude. Mittelschmerz is NOTHING compared to a baseball on your ovary.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 18:54
|
|
|
Mittelschmerz was, for me, always kind of a little pinch, like I'd somehow got some internal skin caught in a hinge for a second. I'd be like "whoa, I just ovulated," and then I'd carry on with my business, super glad that I was on the Pill. Cramps were way worse. Switching to Mirena means that I no longer ovulate, nor do I menstruate, and I kind of got used to pretending that my lady parts weren't that big of an annoying deal. So now that I've got this big-rear end lumpy contorted tennis-ball thing stuck on my gonads, twisting my ovary around like it's trying to pick the drat thing off a stem, it is NOT SAFE to try and tell me that it's no different from having an egg pop out of its little nest and go sailing down my tube in quest of freedom. It is furthermore NOT SAFE (this for many of my lady friends) to try and tell me that you "totally know what I'm going through" because "cramps are the worst." Cramps are pretty horrifying. Having dudes pretend that you're making up how much cramps hurt is insulting. It's awful to be in pain for days on end, bunched up on the sofa crying and popping ibuprofen like M&Ms. But this cyst is so painful it boggles the mind. I can't even properly process the pain when it flares up. I feel bitchy and irritable and increasingly uncomfortable, horribly wrong and impending-doom crazy, and then next thing I know I'm having a syncopal episode and dry-heaving into a trash can and making animal noises at my husband while my toes cramp up from how hard I'm clenching my entire lower body. That poo poo ain't right. I'm kinda looking forward to surgery.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 19:03
|
|
|
elise the great posted:Mittelschmerz was, for me, always kind of a little pinch, like I'd somehow got some internal skin caught in a hinge for a second. I'd be like "whoa, I just ovulated," This is a great way to describe the feeling. quote:I'm kinda looking forward to surgery. I don't blame you one bit, that poo poo sounds horrible as all get out.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 02:18
|
|
|
elise the great posted:but if nobody's making GBS threads blood and everybody's heart is beating okay, I get really confused and anxious. I used to work with a lot of nurses (best bunch of people I've ever met, incidentally), and I think that's the most awesome summary of their unflappable mindset I've ever seen. Thank you. I hope you have a speedy and pleasant-as-can-be recovery from this thing. elise the great posted:I'd be like "whoa, I just ovulated," and then I'd carry on with my business, super glad that I was on the Pill. Cramps were way worse. Why were you ovulating on the pill? That's a drat failure in the system. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 03:21
|
|
|
Innovative Salad posted:Why were you ovulating on the pill? That's a drat failure in the system. It happened every great once in a while, but I was on a super low dose (higher doses made me vomit a lot) and I used secondary protection 100% of the time. That's a large part of why I switched to Mirena: too many potential side effects to be using the Pill as nothing but period control without even the benefit of effective prophylaxis. I should clarify that I was glad to be on the Pill because a) it kept me from ovulating maybe four out of five months and b) ovulating meant a reminder that my period was on its way. The low-dose hormonal therapy was great for making my period super mild even when I *did* ovulate (the "periods" I got during non-ovulation cycles were little more than spotting). I haven't ovulated at all with the Mirena. I've been hearing people say that Mirena is linked to ovarian cysts, though-- is that true, or just internet blather?
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 04:23
|
|
|
The Mirena website cites a higher risk of benign ovarian cysts, but I do not recall if any percentages were given.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 04:59
|
|
|
Well, feh. Maybe that's what I have to blame for all this goddamn pain. I'm not getting rid of the Mirena, though. Maybe if it happens again.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 06:18
|
|
|
Well, the one I had was years ago, before I even knew of Mirena. I've been worried about that, too, but it didn't seem to bother my gyno. If they do happen and they're small and benign and resolve easily, I won't get Mirena out. I figure a fetus isn't benign nor does it resolve easily.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 16:46
|
|
|
Geolicious posted:I figure a fetus isn't benign nor does it resolve easily. This this this a thousand times this. Just think, I could be having emergency surgery with a huge bikini-line cut to remove a child from my body, only to spend the next twenty years trying not to ruin the kid's life/let it ruin my life/die. When you think about it that way, cysts aren't so bad.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 17:36
|
|
|
I read the OP and a couple of pages, but didn't see this asked (though I'm sure it has been in 75 pages!) I've been traveling abroad for over 2 months now and am unsure of when I'll be heading home. Before I left, I got 3 months worth of birth control pills, but forgot in that planning that I usually skip my placebos for 3 packs (OKed by my doctor) and thus 3 packs of pills ends up only covering 9 weeks. The good news is that birth control pills are available over the counter where I am currently (Spain). The bad news is that the exact type I was taking, Junel Fe 1.5/30 is not sold in Spain. The pharmacist talked to me about it some and offered me a similar pill, which ended up being Yasmin. I speak fairly decent Spanish although admittedly my specialized vocabulary in birth control pill talk is kind of limited so I couldn't ask all the questions I wanted to ask. Yasmin is drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Junel is ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone. Is making this switch a big deal? I don't know much about the ingredients but googling around shows me that the two different ingredients are still both progestins, so they're mostly the same, no? My main concern is pregnancy risk. I'm currently using the birth control pill as my sole method of contraception. I'd rather not have to use a backup method if it's not necessary. Aimee fucked around with this message at 11:47 on Aug 7, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 11:40
|
|
|
Aimee posted:Yasmin is drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Junel is ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone. Is making this switch a big deal? I don't know much about the ingredients but googling around shows me that the two different ingredients are still both progestins, so they're mostly the same, no? My main concern is pregnancy risk. I'm currently using the birth control pill as my sole method of contraception. I'd rather not have to use a backup method if it's not necessary. As far as pregnancy goes, if you start the new kind at the same time when you'd start a pack of your old kind, you'll be protected from pregnancy just the same as if you hadn't switched. As far as side effects go, though, it's impossible to predict what will happen. You may react differently to the other type of progestin than to your old kind, but you also may not notice any change at all.
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 16:48
|
|
|
I have a question which I have a feeling I already know the answer too. This may not be the right thread either, but I feel it fits here the best (and hope). My girlfriend is on a hormonal birth control pill. Being unbelievably cautious, we also use condoms. At the beginning of this months package, she took her first pill on the 5th day of her period, a day later then normal. Around 3-4 days later we had sex once, with a condom. About 7-8 days after that she started having very, very dark discharge, about as much as a normal period. About 2-3 days into this she started having cramps like she does on her period. We also notice around then that she had missed 2 or 3 pills out of the first 10 of her BC. This has been going for 9 days now. Now, I'm thinking this is all related to the missed pills. I also know she needs to call her provider. Am I right in thinking it is from the missed pills?
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 18:31
|
|
|
tojarg posted:Now, I'm thinking this is all related to the missed pills. I also know she needs to call her provider. Am I right in thinking it is from the missed pills? So she started her pack late by one day, and in 10 days missed 3 more? Look at the directions that came with her pack to double check, but she will probably need to toss this pack and start a new one. She is also not protected for a week. It's a good thing you use condoms because otherwise I'd also suggest she take a Plan B (though it might be too late for that). There is little reason to call her provider, unless it's to check with her about what her specific pills say to do when you miss that many, but usually, it's to start a new pack. And yes, all of this is related to her missing pills.
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 19:41
|
|
|
Bagleworm posted:As far as pregnancy goes, if you start the new kind at the same time when you'd start a pack of your old kind, you'll be protected from pregnancy just the same as if you hadn't switched. As far as side effects go, though, it's impossible to predict what will happen. You may react differently to the other type of progestin than to your old kind, but you also may not notice any change at all. Okay that's what I figured. There was a bit of miscommunication going on between me and the lady in the pharmacy that made me think she was stating I needed to use backup protection, but it seemed like she might have been saying that as an excessive precaution because she had to look up my current pill on drugs.com since she was unfamiliar with it. I've taken Yasmin before, a few years ago, and it was fine, so I hadn't really considered side effects. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 19:54
|
|
|
Reformed Tomboy posted:So she started her pack late by one day, and in 10 days missed 3 more? Look at the directions that came with her pack to double check, but she will probably need to toss this pack and start a new one. She is also not protected for a week. It's a good thing you use condoms because otherwise I'd also suggest she take a Plan B (though it might be too late for that). Ok, thank you. Yes to all the facts. We can only get 1 pack / month, so we don't have another pack quite yet. Will her period come like normal, when it is suppose to, or is that difficult to tell? Either way, first day we are able to pick up another pack we will, and she'll start again then.
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 20:57
|
|
|
tojarg posted:Ok, thank you. Yes to all the facts. We can only get 1 pack / month, so we don't have another pack quite yet. Will her period come like normal, when it is suppose to, or is that difficult to tell? Either way, first day we are able to pick up another pack we will, and she'll start again then. Can you only get one/month because of insurance? In that case, you absolutely should call her gyno (or even a clinic like Planned Parenthood). They often have free sample packs they can give people, which comes in handy when things like this happen. She will likely be irregular until she's taken a full pack normally, but there is no way to tell.
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2012 21:08
|
|
|
Candygram posted:So it has been four months since my Implanon has been inserted. I think my period is irregular, but I've been bad about keeping track of it since I got the Implanon. It's just not so important, you know? It's usually super light and I barely get cramps. It's usually just "Oh, look, there's blood on the toilet paper. Time to put in a tampon." I've never had skin irritation, but sometimes when I bend my arm a certain way, the insert pinches a bit. Pretty minor and totally worth it for the worry-free baby blocker. Aimee posted:I read the OP and a couple of pages, but didn't see this asked (though I'm sure it has been in 75 pages!) Heh, I had a similar situation when I went to study abroad in France. Totally forgot to order extra pills, ended up panicking when the student health center said they didn't have any. I ended up walking through town, stressing out, when I spotted a sign that said "Planning Familial." Is that what I think it is?! It was. I think I stumbled upon the French equivalent of Planned Parenthood. They were super nice and understanding, and didn't even charge me a dime for my pills!  Anyway, I'm glad you could find someone to help you out. Being in that situation sucks.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 00:14
|
|
|
Just got the giant ovarian cyst out; it was a little larger than a kidney. I'm actually in a lot less pain now, post-op, than I was before. It was fluid-filled, but still pretty crazy-looking, so when I can find a color scanner, I will share the poo poo out of my uterine glamour shots. (Don't worry, I'll link to the pics and warn them well.) Docs also spotted a big honking fibroid on the fundus of my uterus. No wonder I used to have such lovely periods. I can't possibly begin to express how nice it is NOT to have to deal with that poo poo anymore.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 00:22
|
|
|
elise the great posted:Just got the giant ovarian cyst out; it was a little larger than a kidney. I'm actually in a lot less pain now, post-op, than I was before.  I'm glad your surgery went well, but holy moly, no wonder you'd been in such agony.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 01:45
|
|
|
Reformed Tomboy posted:Can you only get one/month because of insurance? In that case, you absolutely should call her gyno (or even a clinic like Planned Parenthood). They often have free sample packs they can give people, which comes in handy when things like this happen. She will likely be irregular until she's taken a full pack normally, but there is no way to tell. Biologically, could anybody explain why this happens? My own curiosity asking.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 02:05
|
|
|
tojarg posted:That I'd exactly why. We should be able to pick up a new one within a couple days, she should start that as soon as we get it right? The nearest PP is 45 minutes away and only open 3 days a week, days we both work so I think we may be forced into waiting, but thank you for the information. Yes she should start the new pack right away. She shouldn't stop in the meantime, but continue to take pills like normal. When she gets the new pack, start it on that day (or the following day if she took a pill already). The pills work to 'mask' your normal hormonal cycle and prevent ovulation. When you don't take the pill every day, your normal hormones can be expressed, including ovulation. When you miss a lot of days, or take them irregularly, your body reacts to the roller coaster of hormones. In her case it was with a period, or period-like bleeding. Considering how many she missed in such a short time, she may have ovulated. I really want to stress that. I said it before, but I'll say it again, you guys are lucky you use condoms. If she needs help remembering when to take the pill, she should look into moving the time she takes it, setting an alarm, or looking into a longer-term method (ring, implant, etc.). Using condoms does not give you a 'blank check' in a sense to not worry about taking the pills correctly. I'm not saying that's the case here, just pointing it out; it puts your body through the works if taken incorrectly.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 02:29
|
|
|
Reformed Tomboy posted:Yes she should start the new pack right away. She shouldn't stop in the meantime, but continue to take pills like normal. When she gets the new pack, start it on that day (or the following day if she took a pill already). Interesting. Thank you so much.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 03:40
|
|
|
So I got the Paragard inserted today after two months of contemplating over it and reading this thread. Couldn't make do with ortho tri cyclen lo after a year and a half of bad PMS and hair loss. Insertion wasn't bad as I thought it would be. Sounding was definitely the most uncomfortable part and the actual insertion was less painful. I think 5 minutes of discomfort was worth it. Here's to 12 years of being baby proof 
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 04:23
|
|
|
elise the great posted:Just got the giant ovarian cyst out; it was a little larger than a kidney. I'm actually in a lot less pain now, post-op, than I was before. I'm SO GLAD you're feeling better! I'd love to see your crazy (well-spoilered) linked pictures!
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 09:17
|
|
|
fork bomb posted:I'm SO GLAD you're feeling better! I'd love to see your crazy (well-spoilered) linked pictures! Same. They sound interesting in an "oh god why did I click this" kinda way.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 13:10
|
|
|
elise the great posted:Posted this over in the Sex Questions Megathread, and someone suggested I bring it here. EDIT: I didn't realize that you had the procedure done. I'm glad it went well. I will leave my responce, just incase anyone else wants to know about my gross, personal medical history. Hi! I've had this done. Take a deep breath and don't panic. I had the laparoscopic removal of a left, begnein, ovarian cyst. It was about 5 inches long. I had this done 15 years ago, so I'm sure that there have been advancements in the procedure since then. I would say 4 days of down time is about right. Your mileage may vary however. I found that the first day, you are just out due to the anesthesia. Day two through 4 I felt sore at the incision sights. Coughing and laughing was painful. Moving was done mincingly. I also felt like I had a roving cramp. I was told this was due to the gas pumped into your abdomen. All in all it wasn't fun, but was doable. I would set up an indoor camp site where you should count on spending 2 days flat on your back. And, I had a video tape of my surgery. Ask if you can have yours. It's neato! jai Mundi fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Aug 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 01:12
|
|
|
Has anyone else experienced bladder spasms with Mirena? I've been getting intermittent weird cramps that involve my whole pelvis since my last insertion (SOP for me, I cramped pretty bad for six months after the last one since I have a dinky li'l uterus) and these feel similar, but I'm wondering if I actually have something terrible and unrelated. No other UTI symptoms at all, just kinda have to pee all the time. Thanks in advance.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 01:34
|
|
|
spite house posted:Has anyone else experienced bladder spasms with Mirena? I've been getting intermittent weird cramps that involve my whole pelvis since my last insertion (SOP for me, I cramped pretty bad for six months after the last one since I have a dinky li'l uterus) and these feel similar, but I'm wondering if I actually have something terrible and unrelated. No other UTI symptoms at all, just kinda have to pee all the time. Thanks in advance. That is kinda a uti symptom...
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 02:06
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:That is kinda a uti symptom...
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 02:23
|
|
|
spite house posted:It's one, but I don't have any others (and have had many a UTI in my day.) Either way, unusual bladder symptoms are one of those things that I don't think anyone should try to ignore as a small problem. Def make an appointment with someone.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 02:29
|
|
|
Urgent Care on Friday it is. Dammit.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 02:41
|
|
|
tojarg posted:I have a question which I have a feeling I already know the answer too. This may not be the right thread either, but I feel it fits here the best (and hope).
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 02:51
|
|
|
spite house posted:It's one, but I don't have any others (and have had many a UTI in my day.) Okay, just checking. I am sorry you've had many a UTI in your day. I'm on my first one right now ;_; Antibiotics are making it better but now I'm super paranoid that I'm going to get a rash and die because that is what I was told to look out for. Well, not the dying. The rash. So everything itches for no reason.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 03:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 21:27 |
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:Okay, just checking. I am sorry you've had many a UTI in your day. I'm on my first one right now ;_; Antibiotics are making it better but now I'm super paranoid that I'm going to get a rash and die because that is what I was told to look out for. Well, not the dying. The rash. So everything itches for no reason. Just be glad you don't have stubborn UTIs that require a second round of antibiotics, which come with the side effects of insomnia, neck pain, and a metallic taste in the mouth
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 04:12
|
|
