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So I've been off hormonal bc for a month and a half. It was definitely causing the depression. I haven't had so much as a lingering sad thought in weeks after three years of not wanting to do anything but lay in bed. I'm active again for the first time in three years and no longer sleeping 12-15 hours a day. But my first period off the hormones almost killed me. I swear my uterus spent the last three years plotting revenge for being silenced. So now I'm looking at Paragard since the idea of being on hormones and going back to being scared and anxious and lethargic all the time is my only actual source of anxiety now. How much worse does it make period cramps, for those of you who've had it?
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Mar 7, 2013 21:30
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GabrielAisling posted:So I've been off hormonal bc for a month and a half. It was definitely causing the depression. I haven't had so much as a lingering sad thought in weeks after three years of not wanting to do anything but lay in bed. I'm active again for the first time in three years and no longer sleeping 12-15 hours a day. But my first period off the hormones almost killed me. I swear my uterus spent the last three years plotting revenge for being silenced. So now I'm looking at Paragard since the idea of being on hormones and going back to being scared and anxious and lethargic all the time is my only actual source of anxiety now. Honestly, they can get kind of rough at times. But if you keep yourself dosed with ibuprofen and keep a heat pad of some kind around, they go away pretty easily. The only times my period and cramps have gotten really bad are when I forget and let the ibuprofen wear off. And I've noticed that there really only seems to be one day of my period that's unusually crampy/heavy, then every other day is basically normal flow with minimal to no cramping. I think I jinxed myself with my last post about my period, because for a few hours after that things were pretty crazy! But then it calmed down and every day after that has been a breeze. If I've scared you, keep in mind that I'm only on my second period with the IUD, I've heard after a few months everything kind of normalizes I will also say that (for me anyway) 1-2 days of period unpleasantness a month has been totally worth it in exchange for not having to deal with the crap I was getting every single day for years with the pill.
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Mar 7, 2013 21:54
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All these posts about Paragard have convinced me that that's what I'm switching to when I get my Implanon out. I think I need to give hormones a break for a while. I'm going to make an appointment next month as that's when I'll have a bit more a buffer of PTO days. Not knowing if I'll cry when something even remotely unpleasant happens (or happy too, I was like Kristen Bell with the sloth) is worth the trade off, if my prehormones cramps are anything to go by.
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Mar 8, 2013 02:46
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So, this is gonna sound awkward/is probably fetish fuel for someone out there, but I'm a little concerned. I started Ortho-Cyclen a month and a half ago. I've had mild side effects, including a little weight gain -- about 5 pounds, seems to mostly be water weight, not a huge deal for me. I've also gotten a LOT of breast tenderness and swelling. They're a little to very sore almost every day and they've gone up a full cup size in the last month. Is this just a result of the water weight, or have they actually gotten larger as a result of the hormones, or what? It's kind of nervewracking (it happened so fast, I've been a B cup since puberty and now I have large-ish C's) and expensive, since my old bras got too uncomfortable and I had to buy all new ones. Has anyone else experienced this, is it permanent, and, to be blunt and vain, is it going to mess up my tits?
DelightFun fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Mar 11, 2013 |
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Mar 11, 2013 07:30
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It's kind of hard for me to say whether or not the changes are permanent. I know when I started taking the pill (Ortho Tri Cyclen) my breasts didn't really change size but they did seem to change in shape noticeably. Then once I went off the pill about 3 and half years later, they changed again to something more like what they used to be (I think anyway, it's been so long I can't remember exactly how my boobs were then).
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Mar 11, 2013 08:08
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Those sorts of things are common during the 3 month trial period on a birth control. It may very well go away or reduce within that time, as most side effects do. If you're really uncomfortable and don't want to wait that long, don't feel awkward telling your gyno that you want to switch.
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Mar 11, 2013 15:22
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I've got a question about skippin' periods. I started Orsythia in September and it's going okay, but my periods still haven't gotten regular again. It's been about seven months now. What happens is I'll get my period for the normal amount of time, then it goes away and everything's cool for 3-4 days. Then it starts up again! Usually light (but not light enough to be considered spotting in my opinion, maybe I'm wrong) but enough to be annoying. That lasts for 2-3 days. So, my period usually comes the week before I start the blue placebo (or whatever they are... the package says it's levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) pills. Then it will start back up again sometime during the blue pills and end around when I start the pink pills again. I think maybe this is because I started taking the pills on the Sunday after my period. Is the issue that it just wasn't matching up? Can I fix this by skipping a period one month? I've never done that before but I really would like to get rid of this annoying issue.
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Mar 12, 2013 01:42
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comets! posted:I've got a question about skippin' periods. This may sound like a dumb question, but it's not clear to me in your post: are you sure the blue pills are your placebo pills? The placebos shouldn't have any hormones at all in them (which is what the levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol are). Edit: OK, just looked it up and it's a bit confusing since the prescribing info says the placebo pills are light green (active pills are pink)? Anyway I guess you could give it a try (as in I don't think it's going to hurt anything), but in my experience if you have breakthrough/just plain weird bleeding in between periods already, skipping a period is probably not going to fix it. Every time I've tried to skip a period on the pill, I always ended up with lots of spotting or just bleeding continuously until my next period. Of course I was on a triphasic pill and yours seems to be monophasic so that may not happen to you. This might be an issue worth bringing up to your doctor because it sounds kind of strange. I mean to me it kind of sounds like breakthrough bleeding, but then you say it's more than spotting so I don't know. It's also a little weird to me that your period starts before the placebo pills so I'm not sure what to make of it. Kimmalah fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Mar 12, 2013 |
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Mar 12, 2013 02:21
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You should not be getting your period while on the hormonal pills, right? How good are you at taking them at the same time every day?
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Mar 12, 2013 02:29
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I have a question: Since getting my Mirena implant two weeks ago I've been very moody/depressed. Is this a side effect of the implant? I'm switching from Depo-Provera, which I was using for two years, and never had noticeable mood-related side effects fromn that. I had the impression that Mirena and Depo used the same hormone, but Mirena used less of it, so I should get less hormone-related side effects. However, I suppose there's some overlap right now where I'm "doubling up" on birth control. What's the best way of dealing with this? miryei fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Mar 12, 2013 |
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Mar 12, 2013 04:27
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NaturalLow posted:This may sound like a dumb question, but it's not clear to me in your post: are you sure the blue pills are your placebo pills? The placebos shouldn't have any hormones at all in them (which is what the levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol are). Thanks. I'm pretty sure the blue pills (maybe they're green?) are placebo since the instructions basically ignore them. It has instructions on what to do if you miss a pink pill (take within 2 hours, or practice safe sex for the next week as you get back on schedule) but not the other ones. I guess I'll try talking to my doctor before doing anything else. Maybe it's breakthrough bleeding but just ridiculously heavy for breakthrough bleeding? I did get pretty heavy spotting when I was on the nuvaring, enough to be almost like a mini-period. This might just be a me-and-hormonal-birth-control thing. To InEscape, I'm very strict about when I take them. I probably take them within the same 30 seconds every day. I'd love to get off hormonal BC and on the copper implant or something, but I've read that can cause heavy spotting as well. Boo hoo.
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Mar 14, 2013 16:29
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comets! posted:Thanks. I'm pretty sure the blue pills (maybe they're green?) are placebo since the instructions basically ignore them. It has instructions on what to do if you miss a pink pill (take within 2 hours, or practice safe sex for the next week as you get back on schedule) but not the other ones. I guess all IUDs have the potential to cause spotting and the copper IUD will definitely cause heavier periods. But I personally have never had any spotting with mine at least. And I used to get it off and on all the time with hormonal BC.
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Mar 14, 2013 16:43
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comets! posted:
I'm over 2 years into having a copper IUD and my cramps and flow are actually less than they were on any pill or naturally. Every lady is different. I've pretty much had the best experience with the IUD possible. I think I spotted a bit for the first 3 months and that was only a few hours after a particularly active romp with my husband.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:37
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Update on my wife's attempt to get sterilized at 27 with no children: Our insurance is finally active  so she called a highly regarded OB/GYN with an office <10 minutes away from our home, and just to get in for an exam and consultation she has to wait until the middle of August. Is this common with combination OB/GYN practices?So in lieu of finding another GYN that's in-network (I know with the ACA it shouldn't matter, but I'd rather be in-network for stuff that might not be covered under contraception) and doesn't have a months-long waiting list we're going to give the closest PP Surgery Center a try. I figure out of all of our options for Essure they'll probably give us the least amount of static about getting sterilized sans children.
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Mar 14, 2013 21:13
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Geoj posted:Our insurance is finally active It can be. Did she specify a specific provider (or specify male/female provider?) or just ask for the first available? I'd have to had to wait several months to get in with the 1 female OB/GYN at the office I use but was able to get in in less than 2 months by just going with the first available, but I don't have any issues with having a male GYN (most of mine have been). She can also ask to be put on the cancellation list if her schedule is flexible and it might result in being seen a lot sooner.
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Mar 14, 2013 21:39
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Tigntink posted:I'm over 2 years into having a copper IUD and my cramps and flow are actually less than they were on any pill or naturally. Every lady is different. I've pretty much had the best experience with the IUD possible. I think I spotted a bit for the first 3 months and that was only a few hours after a particularly active romp with my husband. Thanks for posting this. My experience on the IUD seems to be leaning towards the better side of things and this is giving me hope about my periods in the future. Not that they're terrible now, but there's always one day that's kind of crazy right now. Geoj posted:Update on my wife's attempt to get sterilized at 27 with no children: That's not unusual, especially with doctors that do OB in their practice as well. You've got tons of women coming in for annual exams, ultrasounds, birth control related stuff like your wife, and then miscellaneous medical issues. And some doctors might have certain days they're out of the office entirely doing surgeries or they might get called out to attend births. I've never been to an actual OB/GYN myself (free clinics all the way) but I know it wasn't unusual for my mom to have to schedule pap smears something like 6 months in advance with her doctor. If by PP you mean Planned Parenthood, they can be a great option and they aren't just for people on a budget. I got my IUD with them and it was a great experience start to finish.
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Mar 14, 2013 22:25
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NaturalLow posted:If by PP you mean Planned Parenthood, they can be a great option and they aren't just for people on a budget. Yeah, I mean Planned Parenthood. We had experience with them last spring when my wife went on Nuvaring for a few months (she ended up not liking it) because my old job didn't offer insurance worth buying. The exam/office experience was pleasant enough, but our complaint was how long it took to obtain a new ring at our local clinic. It literally took over an hour each time we had to pick it up and it probably contributed to her going off of it. To boot they're in-network on our insurance so if they can get her in in the near future we'll definitely go through them.
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Mar 14, 2013 22:32
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Geoj posted:Yeah, I mean Planned Parenthood. We had experience with them last spring when my wife went on Nuvaring for a few months (she ended up not liking it) because my old job didn't offer insurance worth buying. The exam/office experience was pleasant enough, but our complaint was how long it took to obtain a new ring at our local clinic. It literally took over an hour each time we had to pick it up and it probably contributed to her going off of it. To boot they're in-network on our insurance so if they can get her in in the near future we'll definitely go through them. Yeah I always had trouble with refills too (although that was a health department clinic, not PP). My guess is maybe they're lower priority, get to it when you can things? I kind of lucked out at my clinic with the IUD since it never seemed to be crowded on the days I went in. But then with something like Essure, you'd only have to deal with it a few times at most probably since it's a permanent form of birth control.
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Mar 14, 2013 22:50
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NaturalLow posted:Thanks for posting this. My experience on the IUD seems to be leaning towards the better side of things and this is giving me hope about my periods in the future. Not that they're terrible now, but there's always one day that's kind of crazy right now. My periods previous to being on hormones and when I was on hormones were absolutely horrendous. Every form of hormone was making my wicked depressed and as I weaned down from high hormone to light hormones (nuvaring was last) I got happier and happier so I decided I wanted the copper IUD. My GYN actually warned me against the copper for the possibly worse periods reason but I really really needed a reliable option and since I am married I really didn't want to be fumbling with buying condoms all the time. So coming from someone who was emptying my diva cup every hour for 3 days - paragard was still awesome. edit: Just trying to put some perspective on my situation. I realized it sounded like my IUD was all wishes and kittens. silicone thrills fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Mar 15, 2013 |
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Mar 15, 2013 02:25
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NaturalLow posted:My guess is maybe they're lower priority, get to it when you can things? My guess is the clinic was either poorly run, or severely understaffed - I'm guessing on the former; there were routinely 2-3 people in reception carrying on a conversation like they didn't have a care in the world. This was with her calling it in ahead of time, and there were rarely more than 3 other people in the waiting room. And this was only an exam/referral clinic, its not like they were doing abortive services or other medically invasive procedures, and with the ring there's prescription bottle to fill or drug compounding to perform  e: one downside to using PP for normal procedures - you have to deal with the douchebag protesters regardless of why you're there (but I suppose for crazy catholics contraception is the same thing as abortion.) Although the ones at the clinic we went to for her initial exam were fairly benign; they were too deeply engaged in conversation and only shook their dead baby sign at and turned their video camera on us after I had pulled into the parking lot. Geoj fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Mar 15, 2013 |
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Mar 15, 2013 02:49
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Tigntink posted:My periods previous to being on hormones and when I was on hormones were absolutely horrendous. Every form of hormone was making my wicked depressed and as I weaned down from high hormone to light hormones (nuvaring was last) I got happier and happier so I decided I wanted the copper IUD. My GYN actually warned me against the copper for the possibly worse periods reason but I really really needed a reliable option and since I am married I really didn't want to be fumbling with buying condoms all the time. Yeah, I guess my posts about Paragard have kind of been like that too. It has had its downsides (I think mainly because I'm in a that early adjustment period still) but overall it's been great for me. I'm still amazed at the difference with my migraines. I knew it was bad, but I never realized how many I was actually having on the pill. Geoj posted:My guess is the clinic was either poorly run, or severely understaffed - I'm guessing on the former; there were routinely 2-3 people in reception carrying on a conversation like they didn't have a care in the world. This was with her calling it in ahead of time, and there were rarely more than 3 other people in the waiting room. And this was only an exam/referral clinic, its not like they were doing abortive services or other medically invasive procedures, and with the ring there's prescription bottle to fill or drug compounding to perform Oh wow, I forgot about that. My clinic never had protestors, which is weird considering that they openly offered abortion services in a small midwestern town.
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Mar 15, 2013 07:39
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I have a Mirena IUD. I'm about to get my period, so my cervix is open a little, and I can feel next to the string what feels like the very end of a thin, flexible loop. I'm worried this might be the tip of the IUD. Can anyone else feel the tip of their IUD when their cervix is a little open, or is my IUD expelling? I'm leaning toward expelling, but I'm always hugely paranoid about it falling out during my period.
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Mar 16, 2013 12:34
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umbrellar posted:I have a Mirena IUD. I'm about to get my period, so my cervix is open a little, and I can feel next to the string what feels like the very end of a thin, flexible loop. I'm worried this might be the tip of the IUD. Can anyone else feel the tip of their IUD when their cervix is a little open, or is my IUD expelling? I'm leaning toward expelling, but I'm always hugely paranoid about it falling out during my period. I don't have a Mirena, but my doctor told me that feeling the tip of my IUD was one of the things to watch for with expulsion (other clues being the strings being much longer, cramping, maybe some bleeding, etc.). As I understand it, if the IUD is sitting where it's supposed to you shouldn't ever feel the tip of it no matter how open your cervix is because it sits above the cervical canal in the uterus. If it's in your cervical canal, it's either expelling or (best case) it's shifted and is sitting lower than it should be. Otherwise, is it possible that maybe one of your strings has looped around in a weird way that makes it feel like the tip of the IUD? I know sometimes I get paranoid about mine and then I realize that it's just the strings sitting in a way that makes them feel weird. I'm not a doctor however so don't take that as expert advice. I think your best bet would be to make an appointment with your doctor ASAP and have them take a look at it or possibly do an ultrasound to see if it's still in place correctly. And probably use a back up birth control like condoms until you have a better idea of what's going on.
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Mar 16, 2013 16:30
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I was with a 43 year old woman and at one point we had intercourse without a condom. I didn't ejaculate inside her, but what are the chances of precum causing pregnancy given her age? Is emergency contraception advisable?
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Mar 16, 2013 16:47
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Every person is different, but my wife and I successfully used withdraw as a birth control method for over five years (we stopped because she went on and then off of hormonal birth control and didn't think I'd be able to control myself having ejaculated in her for three months.) Its generally accepted that there can be sperm in the precum, but as long as you haven't ejaculated since the last time you urinated you *should* be OK.
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Mar 16, 2013 16:53
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Geoj posted:Its generally accepted that there can be sperm in the precum, but as long as you haven't ejaculated since the last time you urinated you *should* be OK. I did  I'm just wondering if since she's 43 that means the chance is lessened. I know there's not many eggs left by that point.
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Mar 16, 2013 16:59
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I'm sure one of the ladies who frequent this thread can better comment on this, but I'm fairly certain number of eggs remaining doesn't really factor in with ovulation. Trace amounts of sperm in the precum does lower the odds of pregnancy, but if you're concerned and this was in the last day or two (and you and the woman aren't opposed) you may want to get her plan B before the window in which it can be used closes.
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Mar 16, 2013 17:19
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Well she just agreed to have an abortion if she ends up pregnant because she doesn't want to use Plan B Works for me! Thanks for the advice.
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Mar 16, 2013 17:56
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I am a terrible IUD owner. I never check for my strings. I try. But I never feel anything. I feel badly for just assuming everything is A OK since I am not bleeding or in pain, but I can never, ever feel them. No matter what position I try.
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Mar 16, 2013 21:20
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Geolicious posted:I am a terrible IUD owner. I never check for my strings. I try. But I never feel anything. I feel badly for just assuming everything is A OK since I am not bleeding or in pain, but I can never, ever feel them. No matter what position I try. My doctor didn't make it sound like checking your strings was really a big deal. She was just like "Check them every month or two or whatever" and I've heard other people say the same about their doctors. So I don't think it really makes you a terrible IUD owner. 
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Mar 17, 2013 02:09
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Mine told me to check it after each period...well, I haven't had a period since July, soooooo...
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Mar 17, 2013 02:38
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Mine didn't mention checking the strings at all.
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Mar 17, 2013 05:28
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Geolicious posted:Mine told me to check it after each period...well, I haven't had a period since July, soooooo... Yeah, I think that was what mine was getting at. But her and most doctors I've heard of are pretty casual about it. It doesn't seem to be a big deal unless you have some other reason to believe things are going wrong with the IUD. Honestly, (in my experience anyway) when you're in that new-IUD-adjustment-period checking your strings can sometimes just freak you out a lot. In those first few weeks, I was so afraid of expulsion that I checked my strings constantly and always had these little doubts like "Well maybe they're a little longer than yesterday" or "oh god my cervix feels a little harder than yesterday, maybe it's the IUD about to come out!" When of course in reality it was probably just the aftereffects of insertion or my cervix shifting around for various reasons. Of course I tend to be an anxious person anyway, but it was a really nervewracking time for me actually.
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Mar 17, 2013 08:47
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For a ridiculously anxious person, I didn't freak out *too* much after my insertion. My doc was super good at instilling trust. In her and the IUD. The only time I got cray was that one and only period and I was terrified I was going to pull it out with my tampon. Sometimes I worry it's come out without me knowing, but then I get a little cramp and am reassured.
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Mar 17, 2013 15:08
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Okay, it's been almost two months on my new pill(Cerazette), and everything is great and my period has apparently just hosed off completely and yay- but I have been so loving anxious and sad I spent most of today at work alternating between feeling like I wanted to scream or cry or possibly both at once. I was a bit unsure at first whether I was just sad because work is so boring and frustrating right now(this change coincided nicely with the new pill, hence my confusion), but it hasn't let up and now I'm starting to think maybe it's the pill. I'm booking a pill checkup with my GP soon so will consult with them about it obviously, but has anyone else had this kind of super horrible depressive reaction and if I did theoretically go off the pill for a while(my boyfriend actually suggested this, because he's concerned about how sad I've been) how long do you think it'd take for me to potentially start feeling normal again? I really don't want it to be the pill because besides this possible mood problem everything else is great and I was hoping to get Nexplanon if the pill trial went well, buuut otoh it's easier to stop taking a pill than to make work suddenly fun again.
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Mar 19, 2013 00:01
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Geolicious posted:For a ridiculously anxious person, I didn't freak out *too* much after my insertion. My doc was super good at instilling trust. In her and the IUD. The only time I got cray was that one and only period and I was terrified I was going to pull it out with my tampon. Sometimes I worry it's come out without me knowing, but then I get a little cramp and am reassured. My doctor has said absolutely nothing about strings, so I wouldn't worry about it. You get random little cramps, too? I'll just be minding my own business and my uterus will kinda seize up. So not comfy.
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Mar 19, 2013 20:49
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ElNiffi posted:
Yep! I actually had some bad ones in the middle of the night and this morning, but I think that was my "period" according to the calendar. Most of the time it's just "oh hey there little crampy cramps, be on your way". I kind get those little one all month long, but they are not nearly bothersome enough to get the thing out.
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Mar 19, 2013 21:10
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Geolicious posted:Yep! I actually had some bad ones in the middle of the night and this morning, but I think that was my "period" according to the calendar. Most of the time it's just "oh hey there little crampy cramps, be on your way". I kind get those little one all month long, but they are not nearly bothersome enough to get the thing out. Oh my goodness, the ones in the middle of the night are the worst! I don't know what it was about night time, but for the first couple weeks I would get them. Just awful. But no, definitely not a reason to ditch the IUD.
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Mar 19, 2013 21:20
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ElNiffi posted:Oh my goodness, the ones in the middle of the night are the worst! I don't know what it was about night time, but for the first couple weeks I would get them. Oh definitely. The first few weeks I used to get tons of cramps at night like clockwork. Usually right when I went to bed and was trying to sleep of course. Not so much now though. I'll also occasionally get a random cramp if I'm moving or doing a lot of bending.
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Mar 19, 2013 21:33
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My pills work pretty okay (Apri, a year now) but I'd like to take a month off just to see what it does to my body and my mood. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this if I know I'm not going to be sexually active in the next month or two? Is a month off long enough to see a difference? I just started my placebo week and am planning to just not start another pack.
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Mar 21, 2013 17:13
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