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NaturalLow posted:I think my first natural period with the Paragard is about to hit because I've had some spotting and WOW the cramps! I haven't felt anything like this since insertion day. It gets alot better over time. I'm 3 years out now and my cramps now are less than they were when I was on hormonal bc and my periods have gotten shorter.
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Jan 28, 2013 03:13
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Tigntink posted:It gets alot better over time. I'm 3 years out now and my cramps now are less than they were when I was on hormonal bc and my periods have gotten shorter. What about before your period? Because I have all the old signs that one is coming, but I haven't actually started bleeding (beyond the occasional spot or two of blood). I have however been super crampy and for lack of a better way to describe it, kind of sore/achy in the pelvic area. Like it felt the first few hours after insertion. The strings seem to be in place and I don't have a fever or anything, so I guess this is the new Paragard PMS for now?
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Jan 28, 2013 05:11
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It took a few months for that to go away but eventually it subsided. The longer i've had it the better its gotten. A year ago I would get some small cramps from weight lifting but now I don't even get anything from that. Just give it time.
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Jan 28, 2013 05:28
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Oh yeah, I'm definitely sticking with it. I'm just still kind of in that stage where I freak out a little if something is different. Thanks!
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Jan 28, 2013 06:26
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Made an appointment today with a gyno to talk about a copper IUD. While I was doing some research it was interesting to see that while copper IUDs are approved for up to 12 years in the States, in Germany you have to replace it after only 5 years. Couldn't find an explanation as to why anywhere. Anyway I'm really nervous to hear what the doctor will have to say about me getting one. I have had such a bad time with hormonal stuff. I already have thyroid issues, no more hormones, thanks. And you ladies and all of your stories/advice sure are helpful!
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Jan 29, 2013 19:46
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ElNiffi posted:Made an appointment today with a gyno to talk about a copper IUD. It's probably the particular IUD you're able to get in Germany. The 10-12 year approved copper IUD in the US is Paragard, but there are way more approved devices in Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUD_with_copper#Types_of_IUDs_available). The main things the doc should be concerned about are any active STIs and whether or not you've had a child with a vaginal birth (i.e. the cervix has been fully dilated once before and the uterus stretched a bit). If you haven't had a kid, you are more likely to expel an IUD, but it's not like having given birth is some sort of guarantee. In short, don't sweat it and be ready to advocate for yourself. Hopefully the German medical profession is less judgmental about birth control than a lot of US providers.
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Jan 29, 2013 21:30
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fine-tune posted:It's probably the particular IUD you're able to get in Germany. The 10-12 year approved copper IUD in the US is Paragard, but there are way more approved devices in Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUD_with_copper#Types_of_IUDs_available). The main things the doc should be concerned about are any active STIs and whether or not you've had a child with a vaginal birth (i.e. the cervix has been fully dilated once before and the uterus stretched a bit). If you haven't had a kid, you are more likely to expel an IUD, but it's not like having given birth is some sort of guarantee. I've heard that in general, IUDs are a fairly popular option in most countries around the world. They're viewed with so much distrust in the U.S. because of the whole Dalkon Shield debacle and the subsequent ideas/myths it created in people's minds about IUDs. I don't know much about the German medical system, but I wouldn't think there would be much of a problem unless they get hung up on the "no kids" thing, which I think is more a doctor to doctor thing. I know for my Paragard, none of the doctors or nurses even batted an eye when they found out I had never had kids. And apparently my cervix was "cooperative" as the lady at the front desk put it. 
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Jan 29, 2013 21:51
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fine-tune posted:If you haven't had a kid, you are more likely to expel an IUD And it turns out the risk is only a hair more.
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Jan 29, 2013 21:51
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Geolicious posted:And it turns out the risk is only a hair more. I've heard Paragard at least, is specifically approved for nulliparous women. I don't about Mirena and others around the world, considering that every time I see a Mirena commercial they always harp on the "this is for women who have already had children" thing in their disclaimers.
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Jan 29, 2013 22:39
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NaturalLow posted:I've heard Paragard at least, is specifically approved for nulliparous women. I don't about Mirena and others around the world, considering that every time I see a Mirena commercial they always harp on the "this is for women who have already had children" thing in their disclaimers. It's just that Mirena wasn't specifically approved/tested on nulliparous women. I'm not entirely surprised, as my GP didn't want to talk IUDs until I was married (what). When she did, Mirena was the only one mentioned (Catholic backed place) even though I am nulliparous. At the time, it was the latest and greatest IUD, and they really seemed keen on it for anyone wanting longer term protection. In awesome IUD news, the FDA has approved a new IUD specifically for nulliparous women: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/skyla-iud-intrauterine-device-_n_2442434.html. It's only good for 3 years, but any new options in the US are a good thing.
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Jan 29, 2013 23:20
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Anyone wanna regale me with tales of their first implanon replacement? I'm coming up on my three years and I just want to know what it will be like. For the original insertion, they used a needle, but I was really bruised and it hurt like hell. I have a silly involuntary reaction to shots and things where I get dizzy and pass out and that happened. I have very low blood pressure though. It was SO worth it. 3 years of no periods at all, and perfect birth control with no thought whatsoever -SCoRE! Seriously, this is the greatest thing ever invented. I used to have very harsh, grossly strong and painful, and unpredictable periods and I'm so used to not having one at all that I don't even think about it anymore. No emotional or physical changes that I can attest to, except at 30 years old, I started getting my first zits and bad skin ever. I always had perfect skin before the implanon, and I've been on the patch, the ring, pills, etc. before. This seems to be the opposite of what a lot of ladies here have experienced? Anyways, I just wanted to know how much worse the process is when ey have to actually cut out the old one and insert the new one. Are there stitches?
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Jan 30, 2013 02:09
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DoggPickle posted:Anyone wanna regale me with tales of their first implanon replacement? I'm coming up on my three years and I just want to know what it will be like. For the original insertion, they used a needle, but I was really bruised and it hurt like hell. I have a silly involuntary reaction to shots and things where I get dizzy and pass out and that happened. I have very low blood pressure though. As I understand it, progestin-only methods of birth control like Implanon are fairly notorious for causing acne in some people. The patch, the ring, and most of the more commonly used pills are combination methods containing estrogen along with the progestin and tend to make acne lessen or disappear. The way your body reacts to combination methods won't necessarily be the same as progestin-only so your experience with one method may not be a good way to judge the other. Kimmalah fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Jan 30, 2013 |
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Jan 30, 2013 02:33
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Oh my god I hope my bad skin is related to the horrible time I am having in life right now and not my Mirena. I will cry if it's my Mirena.
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Jan 30, 2013 04:05
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DoggPickle posted:Anyways, I just wanted to know how much worse the process is when ey have to actually cut out the old one and insert the new one. Are there stitches? They make a small cut the size of the insertion cut and wiggle it out. They don't cut open the along the whole length of it and extract the thing, so you won't need stitches.
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Jan 30, 2013 05:21
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I posted about my replacement Implanon in here before -- click the ? under my name for all my posts. The person who did mine wasn't good, but it wasn't like super traumatic, and the procedure was obviously supposed to be simple (absolutely nothing like the horrifying YouTube videos). They put my second one in a slightly different spot, maybe an inch or two farther toward my elbow.
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Jan 30, 2013 06:09
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i like nice words
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I had no trouble with my second Implanon insertion. My arm did bruise up again, but I knew what to expect from the first go around. Differences: no weird malaise the second day after insertion because my body was already accustomed to the hormone, and I didn't have the hyper awareness of the insertion site that came with my first Implanon (once the soreness had faded).
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Jan 30, 2013 07:05
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Geolicious posted:Oh my god I hope my bad skin is related to the horrible time I am having in life right now and not my Mirena. I will cry if it's my Mirena. Not to upset you, but acne is listed as a possible side-effect of Mirena on the official website, although apparently it's only 5-10% of users according to them. I saw a lot of women complaining about acne with Mirena when I was researching my IUD options, but of course that's all anecdotal.
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Jan 30, 2013 07:20
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Yeah I know it's a possibility. But I'm also going through a really stressful time and getting ready for a cross country move. I wonder how long women had the Mirena before they saw the acne, on average? I had mine for about 3 months before my skin started getting bad, but that also coincides with some stressful poo poo. In any case, I'm having pretty solid luck with benzoyl peroxide. And zits are easier to deal with than a baby. It's still a little disappointing to know I will have to battle it for the whole time I have Mirena if it is the culprit. Oh well. Nothing is perfect.
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Jan 30, 2013 07:24
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I had some moderately increased acne with the Mirena but it started pretty much immediately (like within the first month). It also responded just fine to normal acne treatments so I never really gave a gently caress about it. The Mirena was completely worth a little extra acne.
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Jan 30, 2013 08:03
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Okay thanks for the implanon replacement trip reports. I didn't expect it to be too awful, I just don't recall ever voluntarily requesting someone use a scalpel on me before. I don't have health insurance but paying the full cost is well worth it to me. I have to call around and see who can do it. Any advice on picking a good provider? I live in an area where everything is silly expensive. I hope they don't insist on too many other tests, like pregnancy, stds, pap smear type stuff. That will run the cost up like crazy. I've been in the same committed relationship since I had it put in, and I'll be 34 when I get it.
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Jan 30, 2013 14:08
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Are there any clinics run by Planned Parenthood, the county health department, or some other organization? Those can charge based on your income, which can make it cheaper. As for tests, it might depend on the clinic but Implanon probably doesn't require as many tests since it's not like say an IUD, where preexisting STIs or pregnancy can be a major obstacle.
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Jan 30, 2013 15:18
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I don't have health insurance because I don't have a Job but I don't qualify for reduced payments for things. First world problems I know. I just don't like spending money pointlessly. I had a seizure in the fall, and just the ambulance and two days in the hospital, during which I turned down every procedure or consult possible, and checked myself out against medical advice, cost over ten thousand dollars! I'm still getting random bills for "consults" at $250 a pop from doctors I never saw. I would really prefer to pick and choose exactly what I'm getting.
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Jan 30, 2013 15:42
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Geolicious posted:Yeah I know it's a possibility. But I'm also going through a really stressful time and getting ready for a cross country move. Pretty much the month after I got the Mirena I noticed very light acne (nothing red or swollen, just... bumps.) Now 1.5 years in I've started getting rather painful acne on my neck and chin. I never before had issues with pimples at all, and I haven't changed anything in my skincare or diet so I don't know what the cause is just yet, but it's very persistent and doesn't seem to respond to anything I've tried so far.
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Jan 30, 2013 21:23
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I'll be getting my second Implanon removed on April 8th, a mere 6 days before the three year limit. This will be the first time in over 11 years that I haven't been on some type of hormonal birth control. Since we're on acne chat, I'm hoping that the acne that came with my 20s will somehow magically abate once I'm off birth control.
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Jan 31, 2013 05:57
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Guys just be cool like me and be on 3 kinds of antibiotics. (hoping to get off this poo poo at my appointment in a week  )At least my skin is doing pretty well? VV: Be careful with face washes with sterlyic acid. That stuff works but as a facewash it can dry out your skin really easily. I use a this avenoo light daily lotion that has it, I've had way better results from it since it controls oil all day but doesn't suck the life from my skin. Kerfuffle fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Jan 31, 2013 |
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Jan 31, 2013 06:35
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fork bomb posted:I'll be getting my second Implanon removed on April 8th, a mere 6 days before the three year limit. This will be the first time in over 11 years that I haven't been on some type of hormonal birth control. Since we're on acne chat, I'm hoping that the acne that came with my 20s will somehow magically abate once I'm off birth control. I hope it goes away too! I've never completely stopped getting acne in my 20s (I'm almost 27 now) or even on the pill. I noticed that although my acne improved on the pill, when I DID get a pimple was more like some deep (huge!) painful boil instead of a little zit like I normally had. Then after 3 years, my skin decided "nope!" and I kind of went back to pre-pill levels of acne.  Right now, I'm still kind of riding the roller coaster of being off hormones. My face is breaking out like crazy, although so far it's been controllable. And my moods, oh god my mood swings. I've been a crazy weepy mess the last few weeks, which I'm hoping will even out soon. It's hard to function at work and everything when everything is making me cry. On another note in the acne chat, I've had good luck with Clearisil face wash (or anything with salicylic acid in it) and benzoyl peroxide.
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Jan 31, 2013 18:41
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After 4 months of Lutera (Alesse) my side-effects are: larger breasts and leg cramps when my period starts. Way back when I was a teenager I would get leg cramps so I remember them but I didn't expect them considering the fact that pills are supposed to help with cramping in most cases. Otherwise I'm feeling good. There was an adjustment over the first couple of months where I got rather anxious and/or overly sensitive to things but that evened out and I'm back to being me. Very happy with my BC pill and I'm hoping it's helped with the ovarian cysts that were found last fall. I'll find out next month!
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Jan 31, 2013 21:12
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Esmerelda posted:After 4 months of Lutera (Alesse) my side-effects are: larger breasts and leg cramps when my period starts. Way back when I was a teenager I would get leg cramps so I remember them but I didn't expect them considering the fact that pills are supposed to help with cramping in most cases. Do you mean muscle cramps or menstrual cramps that kind of radiate into your legs? The pill helps with menstrual (uterine) cramps, but really shouldn't have an effect on regular muscle cramps (except maybe if you're retaining a lot of water that throws off your electrolytes or something). Honestly though, I noticed my cramps got a lot worse on the pill for some reason. It could have just been because I was on it so long and my period was changing with age or possibly because I got lots of clots with the pill too.
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Jan 31, 2013 21:31
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NaturalLow posted:Do you mean muscle cramps or menstrual cramps that kind of radiate into your legs? The pill helps with menstrual (uterine) cramps, but really shouldn't have an effect on regular muscle cramps (except maybe if you're retaining a lot of water that throws off your electrolytes or something).
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Jan 31, 2013 21:55
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Esmerelda posted:After 4 months of Lutera (Alesse) my side-effects are: larger breasts and leg cramps when my period starts. Way back when I was a teenager I would get leg cramps so I remember them but I didn't expect them considering the fact that pills are supposed to help with cramping in most cases. Pills help with period cramps, not muscle cramps. Some pills can also lower your potassium (lack of it causes muscle cramps) so you may want to eat more bananas. Worth a shot anyway  I'm finishing off my fourth pack of Lutera now. I absolutely hate it! That over sensitive/anxious thing you mention happened to me as well, but with the added bonus of depression and mood swings. I've already got a new pill here to try. I was really upset when I went to get the new pill though, the doctor gave me all kind of crap about my reasoning for wanting a new pill. She said that depression is not even a "proven" side effect and maybe I should just go to a psychiatrist. drat Planned Parenthood, you've treated me so nicely up until now 
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Feb 1, 2013 01:39
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Reformed Tomboy posted:Pills help with period cramps, not muscle cramps. Some pills can also lower your potassium (lack of it causes muscle cramps) so you may want to eat more bananas. Worth a shot anyway I will say that the month and a half where I was adjusting was very not fun. Especially not fun for my boyfriend who bore the brunt of all of it.
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Feb 1, 2013 02:03
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Reformed Tomboy posted:I was really upset when I went to get the new pill though, the doctor gave me all kind of crap about my reasoning for wanting a new pill. She said that depression is not even a "proven" side effect and maybe I should just go to a psychiatrist. drat Planned Parenthood, you've treated me so nicely up until now Yeah, I got the same thing at Planned Parenthood when I complained about low libido and migraines. They said it wasn't proven and it was all probably just stress. But as soon as the hormones had time to mostly get out of my system, lo and behold my libido is coming back and the headaches are almost completely gone. It sucks, but they still went along with my wishes so I just kind of let it go.
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Feb 1, 2013 02:17
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I'm pretty surprised both of you had that experience. I've been through a bunch of different pills + the ring and every time I asked to switch it was due to depression and libido and they never gave me poo poo about it because all the doctors were like "well you shouldn't be miserable on it and there's plenty of choices out there"
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Feb 1, 2013 02:21
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They weren't really mean about it or anything. Or it was more of a smug kind of thing like "Welll they've done studies and there's no PROOF that the pill causes low libido. And are you sure those are actually migraines? It's probably just tension headaches from stress.  " Never mind that they run in my family and match all the hallmark symptoms for migraine.It was actually a very strange moment because the lady was really nice otherwise and she still agreed that a hormone-free IUD would be a good option for me. 
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Feb 1, 2013 03:25
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That's sad! When I was at PP and expressing my fear of an inserted BC method because I'd had low libido on the pill and didn't want to lose my sex drive for three years, they were totally understanding, talked through the risks, discussed some non-hormonal methods and then let me decide. Nobody tried to act like low sex drive isn't a problem with progestin-containing BC at all. PS I'm only a month into my Nexplanon and I don't know where I'll land on the sex drive thing but holy poo poo it has been through the loving roof lately. Also does anyone know when the crazy mood swings will end? Is it six weeks like the pill? I have been, according to boyfriend, "um, just a little combative". I have also been weirdly weepy about horrible songs on the radio.
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Feb 1, 2013 03:52
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I hope it's only 6 weeks as I'm getting close to that. I'm tired of crying over stupid poo poo and being enraged by minor annoyances.
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Feb 1, 2013 06:52
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I never had mood swings with Implanon. It's been way more stable than Depo or the pill for me.
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Feb 1, 2013 07:16
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fork bomb posted:I never had mood swings with Implanon. It's been way more stable than Depo or the pill for me. I wish I could say that. I've had Implanon for almost two years and the mood swings haven't stopped. There's no way I'm sticking with it when my time is up. It's totally worth it to not have to think about it on the daily but the crying at anything is seriously stressful. I'm actually thinking about making an appointment to talk about Paragard. I was waiting time my health insurance kicked in and it finally did. I just want to get away from hormones for a while. Plus the period whenever and for however long it feels like is also driving me a little batty. I had such high hopes for you, Implanon.
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Feb 1, 2013 13:30
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I think Implanon actually evened out my moods, since the dose of hormones is steady, rather than varying like on pills or like they do naturally. It does make it easier for me to tear up, though. I used to only cry when something was really upsetting, and now a Hallmark commercial will do it (that drat "tell me you love me" Christmas one). I'm not more upset than I would've been before, there are just suddenly tears appearing.  e: oh, and the sex drive is nuts. It was always high, but definitely got higher on Implanon. and orgasms are better Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Feb 1, 2013 |
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Feb 1, 2013 17:36
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Anne Whateley posted:
That's defiantly how it is for me, I can cry at the drop of a hat. I feel the same as when I'm not crying, but it sucks because people think I'm upset and saying "hormones" just freaks everyone out. It sucks for my boyfriend, I keep telling him I'm not upset or sad or mad or anything but I can tell that he's getting frustrated with how easily I cry.
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Feb 1, 2013 19:47
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