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My boyfriend and I had an accident last night and I bought the Plan B pill this morning because I'm one of those extremely paranoid people with that kind of stuff. Thing is, I'm also taking antibiotics. I know antibiotics can affect how well birth control works, and Plan B, from my understanding, is just a giant dose of birth control, so will the antibiotics negate the effectiveness of the pill?
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Aug 23, 2013 14:57
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silversiren posted:My boyfriend and I had an accident last night and I bought the Plan B pill this morning because I'm one of those extremely paranoid people with that kind of stuff. Thing is, I'm also taking antibiotics. I know antibiotics can affect how well birth control works, and Plan B, from my understanding, is just a giant dose of birth control, so will the antibiotics negate the effectiveness of the pill? If you call the pharmacy they should be able to tell you. I've had pharmacies refuse to give me straight answers on antibiotics and birth control before though. You can call any pharmacy and ask this if you want to though so you aren't stuck if yours won't tell you what you need to know. Not all antibiotics directly affect the effectiveness of birth control, iirc only a handful have been shown to.
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Aug 23, 2013 15:22
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silversiren posted:My boyfriend and I had an accident last night and I bought the Plan B pill this morning because I'm one of those extremely paranoid people with that kind of stuff. Thing is, I'm also taking antibiotics. I know antibiotics can affect how well birth control works, and Plan B, from my understanding, is just a giant dose of birth control, so will the antibiotics negate the effectiveness of the pill? I won't say you're 100% for sure all right, but to my knowledge the only antibiotic that's actually been proven to have an interaction with birth control is rifampin. Definitely call a pharmacist and double check, but you're probably fine.
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Aug 23, 2013 17:00
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IANAD so I'd still call the pharmacy, but Kimmalah is right-- rifampicin induces a liver enzyme that causes serious upregulation of hormones, so levonorgestrel (aka Plan B and the active ingredient in Mirena; it's a a progestogen!) gets metabolized faster than it would otherwise. The only other drug I can recall that's an inducer of CYP3A4 (the enzyme in question!) is rifabutin but unless you have TB I doubt you're on it. You're probly fine.
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Aug 23, 2013 23:32
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Thanks guys. I did end up calling the pharmacist and he said that I would be fine. Crisis averted. 
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Aug 23, 2013 23:59
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Update: My Mirena is still like the best thing that's ever happened to me. No more cramps, no more spotting, I've dropped 10 pounds without trying, my acne hasn't really changed, strings are there but my partner hasn't felt them, I feel fantastic, etc.
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Aug 30, 2013 21:46
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Tshirt Ninja posted:Update: My Mirena is still like the best thing that's ever happened to me. No more cramps, no more spotting, I've dropped 10 pounds without trying, my acne hasn't really changed, strings are there but my partner hasn't felt them, I feel fantastic, etc. I'm very happy to hear something totally positive about Mirena. I just started a minipill as part of my campaign for an IUD, and for the first time ever, I had virtually no cramps. Just a little minor discomfort that wasn't even worth taking an ibuprofen for. After nine years of terrible debilitating hellcramps, it is the most amazing and liberating thing I've ever experienced. Aside from the joy at not having cramps, I could use some advice about convincing my boyfriend that he's not opposed to me getting an IUD. He's got a scar from being stabbed by a partially expelled IUD and is rather resistant to the idea of me getting one.
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Aug 31, 2013 03:40
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I've been on Loestrin Fe 24 for 6 years or so now. I love it. My periods went from multiple weeks of heavy bleeding and cramping to a few days of light spotting every couple of months. My 17 year old daughter had similar issues with her period so I had her put on it almost 3 years ago, she loves it too. Today I went to pick up her pill pack at Walgreens, only to find out that the medical card no longer covers it. There is also a generic of it, finally, but the medical card doesn't cover it either. As of now, the pharmacy has the Loestrin itself on backorder and have no idea when it will be coming in and the same goes for the generic. I've tried and been on at least 8 other types of oral contraceptive plus Mirena. Loestrin is the only thing that doesn't make me loathe being a female during my period. Right now, I can't afford $85.99 a month (times 2) for my daughter and myself for the Loestrin and it didn't sound like the generic would be coming in, in time for her to not miss any pills. She's due to start a new pack on Sunday. Beyond the usual bitching about how much I love my Loestrin, what are some names of any other similar low-dose bc pills out there?
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Aug 31, 2013 04:30
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GabrielAisling posted:I'm very happy to hear something totally positive about Mirena. I just started a minipill as part of my campaign for an IUD, and for the first time ever, I had virtually no cramps. Just a little minor discomfort that wasn't even worth taking an ibuprofen for. After nine years of terrible debilitating hellcramps, it is the most amazing and liberating thing I've ever experienced. Not a Mirena, but I pretty much consider my IUD to also be one of the best birth control decisions I ever made. As for your boyfriend, you could always try reminding him that the IUD that caused the problem last time was partially expelled and for most people, it's not hard to just reach up there and check to see if things are still in place right before you have sex. If it's been expelled enough to injure him, you would most likely be able to feel it with your fingers no problem. If you checking it doesn't give him enough peace of mind, then have him reach in there and check for himself. Or (and this isn't really what I'd recommend, more like last resort if you're hellbent on a Mirena) you could always just get the IUD without saying anything about it. Absolute Evil posted:I've been on Loestrin Fe 24 for 6 years or so now. I love it. My periods went from multiple weeks of heavy bleeding and cramping to a few days of light spotting every couple of months. My 17 year old daughter had similar issues with her period so I had her put on it almost 3 years ago, she loves it too. Today I went to pick up her pill pack at Walgreens, only to find out that the medical card no longer covers it. There is also a generic of it, finally, but the medical card doesn't cover it either. As of now, the pharmacy has the Loestrin itself on backorder and have no idea when it will be coming in and the same goes for the generic. I've tried and been on at least 8 other types of oral contraceptive plus Mirena. Loestrin is the only thing that doesn't make me loathe being a female during my period. Right now, I can't afford $85.99 a month (times 2) for my daughter and myself for the Loestrin and it didn't sound like the generic would be coming in, in time for her to not miss any pills. She's due to start a new pack on Sunday. Beyond the usual bitching about how much I love my Loestrin, what are some names of any other similar low-dose bc pills out there? Looking at the official website, it looks like your problem may be because Loestrin Fe 24 is no longer being manufactured. They recommend a new pill called Minastrin that's supposed to be basically the same as the Loestrin.. They also offer a patient savings card for it that might help you out.
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Aug 31, 2013 04:47
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Kimmalah posted:
Wow, thanks. I was so flustered, I didn't really think to look it up. I remember the pharmacy tech said the new/generic/whatever started with an M. Clever name too. Here's hoping it's available where I am and covered soon!
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Aug 31, 2013 05:27
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Kimmalah posted:Looking at the official website, it looks like your problem may be because Loestrin Fe 24 is no longer being manufactured. They recommend a new pill called Minastrin that's supposed to be basically the same as the Loestrin.. They also offer a patient savings card for it that might help you out. Yes, Loestrin 24 Fe was discontinued a couple weeks ago. Their patent expires next year. Minastrin isn't a generic. It's just the same thing in a chewable so they can continue making loads of money. Seriously, they didn't change the packaging or font. Unfortunately, because it's chewable instead of a plain tablet pharmacy folk have to contact the doctors to ok the change. Call around to other pharmacies to see if they have it stocked & page her doctor to have it called in if necessary. Any good pharmacy that keeps up on products should have it.
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Aug 31, 2013 06:24
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Can anybody help out An Old Boot in the 'Tell Me About How You Deal with Endometriosis' thread? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3567918
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Aug 31, 2013 12:12
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So I've been on Amethyst (the generic of Lybrel) for about a year now, give or take a few months. I ran out yesterday, after spending three weeks on vacation with my boyfriend, and won't be able to do copay on my next batch. I'm thinking about just taking a couple weeks off until I can pay -- boyfriend is away at school for the next few months, so it's not like worrying about sexual activity is an issue, and it'll be good if my period came back so I could have reassurance that I didn't get pregnant during the trip. (We did use condoms with spermicidal lube, but he and I both just have tendencies to worry about it anyway.) I have a couple questions about that for anyone that's used Lybrel or anything similar, though: 1.) How long does it take for periods to come back once you stop using it? 2.) How bad do they get afterwards? Does it depend on how long you've used it? Because I have a bad feeling I'm going to be hit with BLOOD AND CRAMP TSUNAMI given how long I've been on it.
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Sep 1, 2013 17:39
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So, *my girlfriend* asked me to help her research some alternative BC methods to what she's tried already. So far injections (Depo, iirc) have been successful in preventing her from getting pregnant, but in her view really messed with her body to the extent that she decided to lay off them and look for other options. She's been using a diaphragm, which also has prevented us from becoming parents sooner than we want, but has the adverse affect of requiring a bit of preparation, possibly causing toxic shock, and also the spermicide used with it causes my penis to feel like its skin is about to peel off and has a similar, though not as intense, effect on her insides. We're going back to condoms for now, but she really misses the "Ready? Go!" spontaneity of when she was on hormonal BC...yet she also doesn't want to go with a pill because of the same concerns about the hormonal imbalance adversely affecting her weight, skin, and moods. So, what resources could I point her to for some more options? Ideally it would be a non-barrier, non-hormonal method, and one that won't take a whole lot of time/effort for her to deal with given that she is simultaneously finishing her dissertation AND starting her first faculty job this fall and sometimes just needs some lovin' without having to make a huge production of it.
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Sep 1, 2013 19:14
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Copper IUD (commonly called Paraguard in the US). It just sits there for a decade, preventin' babies. The only real downside is it can cause heavier periods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragard http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/iud-4245.htm
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Sep 1, 2013 19:20
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So uh, 2 weeks ago my girlfriend and I were getting it on, and the condom broke (I did not ejaculate). We didn't notice the breakage until everything was done. She didn't take the morning after pill and now her period is 9 days late. She did a pregnancy test this morning and the negative line is barely visible. How hard should I be making GBS threads my pants right now?
awesome-express fucked around with this message at 10:20 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 10:16
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awesome-express posted:So uh, 2 weeks ago my girlfriend and I were getting it on, and the condom broke (I did not ejaculate). We didn't notice the breakage until everything was done. She didn't take the morning after pill and now her period is 9 days late. She did a pregnancy test this morning and the negative line is barely visible. How hard should I be making GBS threads my pants now? Not ejaculating doesn't matter as pre ejaculate does the job just as well. Get her to a sexual health clinic for a test there as the store bought ones are not always reliable depending on what kind you bought. Don't poo poo your pants. Take a breath, it's not the end of the world.
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Sep 2, 2013 10:20
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Well *assuming* it's a positive, and non of us want anything resembling a kid, abortion is the next logical step. Are they carried out this early in the process? What kind of support should I show? Since I'm completely lost and am freaking the hell out about this whole ordeal. Oh god.
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Sep 2, 2013 10:31
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awesome-express posted:Well *assuming* it's a positive, and non of us want anything resembling a kid, abortion is the next logical step. Are they carried out this early in the process? What kind of support should I show? Since I'm completely lost and am freaking the hell out about this whole ordeal. Oh god. If she is pregnant and the decision is for an abortion then yes they are carried out the earlier the better. If that is the case just be there for her for whatever she may need whether it's someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on. Now those were a few if's that I tossed out. Calm down. Perhaps she's stressed out and that's causing her period to be late. Go and get the test done to be sure. Freaking out will not help you. Whatever happens all will be okay. It doesn't feel like it right now but it will be.
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Sep 2, 2013 10:54
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Apollodorus posted:So, *my girlfriend* asked me to help her research some alternative BC methods to what she's tried already. So far injections (Depo, iirc) have been successful in preventing her from getting pregnant, but in her view really messed with her body to the extent that she decided to lay off them and look for other options. She's been using a diaphragm, which also has prevented us from becoming parents sooner than we want, but has the adverse affect of requiring a bit of preparation, possibly causing toxic shock, and also the spermicide used with it causes my penis to feel like its skin is about to peel off and has a similar, though not as intense, effect on her insides. We're going back to condoms for now, but she really misses the "Ready? Go!" spontaneity of when she was on hormonal BC...yet she also doesn't want to go with a pill because of the same concerns about the hormonal imbalance adversely affecting her weight, skin, and moods. Like gabi said, a copper IUD is going to be one of the most reliable non-hormonal options. It also allows for a lot of spontaneity since it's long-term and just sits in the uterus (for up to 12-15 years if you're so inclined). I've had for about 9 months and basically it feels like I'm not on birth control at all, except I am!  It will most likely maker her periods heavier for a while, but that gets better over time. It seems like around the 6 month mark things really start to normalize. Kimmalah fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 13:28
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awesome-express posted:Well *assuming* it's a positive, and non of us want anything resembling a kid, abortion is the next logical step. Are they carried out this early in the process? What kind of support should I show? Since I'm completely lost and am freaking the hell out about this whole ordeal. Oh god. Be supportive and do what you can to be calm and level headed through this stressful experience. A faint negative is still a negative, she should wait a few days and retest. She needs to be sure to use her first morning urine to test with because that's when there's the highest level of hCG or whatever it is that pregnancy tests test for. If it's this early they can use the abortion pill, but that can be pretty unpleasant from what I hear. If she needs to have an abortion, it's not going to be a pleasant experience but clinic employees will be professionals and be helpful and supportive. Being there for her is the most important thing. No matter what the outcome, it's a good idea to talk to your girlfriend about going on the pill after this pregnancy scare. I don't know for sure if birth control counseling is part of the post-abortion process, but they may encourage it as well. If she's on insurance, it's free, and if she's not it's only like $9 a month for certain generics depending on the store chain. (Usually generic Ortho Cyclen or Ortho Tri Cyclen) Apollodorus posted:So, *my girlfriend* asked me to help her research some alternative BC methods to what she's tried already. So far injections (Depo, iirc) have been successful in preventing her from getting pregnant, but in her view really messed with her body to the extent that she decided to lay off them and look for other options. She's been using a diaphragm, which also has prevented us from becoming parents sooner than we want, but has the adverse affect of requiring a bit of preparation, possibly causing toxic shock, and also the spermicide used with it causes my penis to feel like its skin is about to peel off and has a similar, though not as intense, effect on her insides. We're going back to condoms for now, but she really misses the "Ready? Go!" spontaneity of when she was on hormonal BC...yet she also doesn't want to go with a pill because of the same concerns about the hormonal imbalance adversely affecting her weight, skin, and moods. IUD is the logical thing here. If she wants hormone free, Paragard is the way to go, but she may have to make an extra appointment to get it ordered and then inserted. I didn't ask my gyno if they kept them in stock, but she said only one or two of her patients have the copper IUD. It's just not very popular here. There's also Skyla, which offers an even smaller dose of hormones but only lasts 3 years to Mirena's 5. Which of course pales in comparison to Paragard's 12-15 years. The big side effect that has already been mentioned is the hellish periods until her body settles down. If she's only been on depo, no wonder she's got a poor view of hormonal birth control: I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole. I know that some people have used it and been fine on it, but from everything I've read it's not a good drug to be on at all. Long term use leading to bone density loss, ahoy! Combined oral contraceptive pills that contain estrogen and progestin give a small daily controlled dose of hormones that can be stopped at any time instead of one giant dose. The difference being that with the pill if there are horrible side effects, you just stop taking the pill, but on depo, you're stuck with it for three months. I would *highly* suggest that if her only experiences involving hormones involve the shot that she consider a low-dose combined oral contraceptive pill for a few months, or something like Nuva Ring that you mess with like once a month. -- In my own uterus jewelry experience at the two month mark, godDAMNNNN do I love my IUD. I had light spotting and a 10 day long annoying period of being too light for a tampon but slightly more than what I wanted a pantyliner to deal with the first month but after that, nothing. I was prone to spotting all the time when stacking pills and lower doses of birth control, so this was a very pleasant surprise for me. The cramps settled down, too. It's like the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Oven of birth control. Insert it and forget it. My skin is a little more break out-y and I had a partner get really weirded out by it but so far, it's been the best experience I've had with a birth control method.
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Sep 2, 2013 18:44
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Thanks for the support guys. We went to a clinic to get a blood test done, and she came out negative! Her period also started today (goddam 10 days late)! Can't believe I'm happy for my girlfriend's bleeding vagina, but there we go. Now's the time to look into better birth control methods. Dodged a bullet right there, haven't been this happy in a long while.
awesome-express fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 21:10
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Grape Soda posted:
Yeah, that sounds good. To me, anyway--her initial thought (without my having suggested or mentioned IUD) was "yikes, undergoing minor surgery and possible uterus puncturing!" Are there any more resources I should point her to? Beyond her trained healthcare professionals, that is.
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Sep 2, 2013 21:36
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e: misread I need a nap 
Kerfuffle fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Sep 2, 2013 |
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Sep 2, 2013 22:34
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Nexplanon update: going on 8 weeks since insertion and so far so good! Any time I've switched BC I've had a month-long episode of epic mood swings and general shittyness and this was no exception, but my hormones have leveled out and I've had no other side effects. I also haven't had a period at all, which is freaky enough, so I took a home pregnancy test (negative) just to make myself feel better. Conversely, a co-worker had hers put in just three days before I had mine, and she started bleeding at three weeks out and hasn't stopped.
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Sep 2, 2013 22:42
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Apollodorus posted:Yeah, that sounds good. To me, anyway--her initial thought (without my having suggested or mentioned IUD) was "yikes, undergoing minor surgery and possible uterus puncturing!" Are there any more resources I should point her to? Beyond her trained healthcare professionals, that is. Yeah, that doesn't really happen any more. Or in the beginning of copper IUDs either. There was one horrifying brand in the 70s? that caused all sorts of problems before it was taken off the market. It's also not surgery in any sense. I got a copper IUD about a year and a half ago and I'm super happy about. I haven't had anything I would consider a problem at all. I was not on hormonal birth control for a few years prior so I didn't experience any side effects of coming off hormones. I did notice an increase in cramps, length of period and amount of blood but all very within normal range. These all tapered off over time. My period is now only slightly heavier than before the IUD. I do have spotting (bleeding that only requires a panty liner.) for longer. If she's looking for long term BC with no hormones, it's definitely the way to go. If she thinks she may want to have a kid in 3-5 years, the low dose Mirena or Skyla might be more worth it. If I thought I wanted a kid 3-5 years from when I got my Paragard, I probably would have opted for the bonus chance of light/no periods. It's possible you can get no periods with a copper IUD but I haven't heard any anecdotal evidence of it. I also haven't heard any anecdotal evidence of anyone having heavier periods on Mirena. I like to come into this thread every so often just to say I've had no problems with my Paragard. One problem with the internet (and I guess people in general) is they like to tell their own horror stories and repeat others that the actual number of unremarkable cases are never noted. The "sucess stories" are never heard unless you look at the few studies where someone has gone out of their way to ask those people about their experiences.
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Sep 3, 2013 01:05
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Apollodorus posted:Yeah, that sounds good. To me, anyway--her initial thought (without my having suggested or mentioned IUD) was "yikes, undergoing minor surgery and possible uterus puncturing!" Are there any more resources I should point her to? Beyond her trained healthcare professionals, that is. I wouldn't consider it minor surgery since there is no cutting or bleeding involved, it's just a little more complicated than a normal Pap test. I was the same way right around the time I turned 21. I tried condoms, 3-4 different birth control pills, depo, and the nuvaring by that point. Hormonal bc sucks but the nuvaring was the least annoying as far as mood swings and having to think about it. I was in a long-term relationship and neither of us wanted kids, so the local PP approved me for an IUD even though I was young and had no kids. One visit to meet with the doctor and go over it, and another a week or so later for placement. They told me to take a few ibuprofen before going in that morning. The actual process took about 15 minutes total, with 20 seconds of what felt like really intense cramps when she put it in. I drove myself home after. I took Aleve for a few days after that and was never in real pain. The heavy periods after are a big thing but mine always were anyway so it wasn't a huge change. The weirdest part was that they were longer, like 9 days long, but after a few months the 4/5th day got really light, then a year or two later stopped altogether on those days. So it was like 4 days on, 1-2 off, then another couple days and done. Which is sweet to have that little clean break for bonin'. Now some months I don't even get the last couple days so it's just 4-5 days total. The best part? I felt like a fog lifted when I got off hormones and had a crazy strong sex drive again. And the sudden freedom to go camping in the woods or a weekend out of town without taking pills or condoms and just have sex whenever the mood strikes? Fantastic. It's been 8 years and I've never had to worry about a missed pill, pregnancy scare, random mood swings from switching pills, weight fluctuations, or even having to THINK about birth control that entire time. It made my 20's really great to have that sort of freedom from prescriptions and worry. Yes there are risks involved with placement and it wasn't pleasant at first, but it has been so, so worth it. I'm planning on getting another when the time on this one is up. Just let her read about other women's experiences and do her own research. I compared all the options at the time and had the same problems with hormones wreaking havoc and condoms stopping spontaneity or causing panic when they broke. If she just wants to finish school and teach for a couple years without worry I say go for it. 
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Sep 3, 2013 01:10
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Apollodorus posted:Yeah, that sounds good. To me, anyway--her initial thought (without my having suggested or mentioned IUD) was "yikes, undergoing minor surgery and possible uterus puncturing!" Are there any more resources I should point her to? Beyond her trained healthcare professionals, that is. IUD insertion is not a surgery in any sense. My entire appointment, from taking my pants off to walking out the door, took less than 10 minutes. It's only slightly more invasive than a normal gynecological check up.
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Sep 3, 2013 02:33
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GoodBee posted:Yeah, that doesn't really happen any more. Or in the beginning of copper IUDs either. There was one horrifying brand in the 70s? that caused all sorts of problems before it was taken off the market. It's also not surgery in any sense. Perforation of the uterus is still a possibility during insertion of all IUDs on the market today. But generally it's rare and has more to do with the skill of the person doing the insertion (or lack of it). The brand you're probably thinking of is the Dalkon Shield, which was so terrible it really set IUDs as a birth control method back for years in the U.S. Its main problem was a poor design that let bacteria from the vagina enter the uterus, leading to all kinds of nasty infections. But thankfully companies have learned and so stuff like that isn't really a concern. Like others have said, I wouldn't really consider an IUD insertion any kind of surgery based on my experiences having actual minor surgeries. It's just a little more invasive than a pap smear really, lasts maybe 10 minutes or less and doesn't involve incisions/stitches/sedation etc. And while everyone is different, for me there wasn't really a "recovery time" other than maybe a few hours of cramping. jenelle posted:The weirdest part was that they were longer, like 9 days long, but after a few months the 4/5th day got really light, then a year or two later stopped altogether on those days. So it was like 4 days on, 1-2 off, then another couple days and done. Which is sweet to have that little clean break for bonin'. Wow, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets the weird on and off periods with Paragard. Mine lasts for like 5-6 days but always takes a day long break at some point right in the middle. 
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Sep 3, 2013 02:49
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Apollodorus posted:Yeah, that sounds good. To me, anyway--her initial thought (without my having suggested or mentioned IUD) was "yikes, undergoing minor surgery and possible uterus puncturing!" Are there any more resources I should point her to? Beyond her trained healthcare professionals, that is. I have an anxiety disorder. I'm medicated for it but it doesn't eliminate all of my stupid anxious tendencies. So, to address my fears, I read every little piece of documentation I could find on IUDs- insertion, removal, possible side effects, the risks, everything. And here's what I found to be immensely helpful: IUD Divas- http://iud-divas.livejournal.com Yes, that's a livejournal community, but it's got every kind of experience from good to bad, with every sort of intrauterine contraceptive they've got on the market. Actual insertion video:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i4uXRSLnro I don't know why, but watching it helped me see that it was no biggie. YES THERE IS A REAL, LIVE HUMAN VAGINA THERE SO DON'T CLICK ON THAT AT WORK UNLESS YOU WORK IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE OR SOMETHING Here's an abstract from a study over uterine perforation during insertion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12266198 The bottom line? "21,610 IUD insertions revealed 41 uterine perforations occurring at the time of, or subsequent to, insertion. ... The uterine perforation rate was estimated as between 1.9 and 3.6/1000 insertions" http://www.uptodate.com/contents/management-of-problems-related-to-intrauterine-contraception This has a crap load of info, from perforation to expulsion to side effects. It refers to their generic names rather than brand names so you may need to do a little searching on what their brand name is from the generic. I read the patient prescribing information from back to front, and the doctor's documentation in there too. I took 800mg of ibuprofen about an hour before my appointment. My doctor didn't say I needed to but everywhere suggested it. Definitely do that. Then I took a Xanax when I got to my appointment to get over the OH GOD THIS IS GOING TO BE HORRIBLE, did my pee test to prove that I wasn't pregnant or had any STDs that could cause pelvic inflammatory disease, then it was a quick pelvic exam, a quick jab to the cervix with numbing stuff, then the insertion. It took less than ten minutes. Not going to lie, it was kind of ouchy. A couple of really strong cramps and then the pain lessened. I had a vasovagal response to it about 15 minutes afterwards and ended up puking at Walmart when I went to buy a heating pad. After that, I was fine. Bought the heat thing, awkwardly jammed it down my pants in the walmart parking lot while nobody was looking and drank gatorade the way home. Laid on the couch with a thermacare thing for the pain, ate 800mg ibuprofen every 8 hours for a few days because it took a few days to settle down. It was a hundred times less scary and painful than I thought it would be. And for your girlfriend, this minor procedure will mean over 10 years of baby free sexin'. Removal is way less bad than insertion, too. Make sure she has a heating pad, ibuprofen and some ice cream at home. Because she totally deserves ice cream after this.  edit: I'm dumb, video regular linked now Fashionably Great fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Sep 3, 2013 |
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Sep 3, 2013 03:02
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Might wanna make the video a regular link.
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Sep 3, 2013 07:38
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It's almost 4 months since I had Nexaplanon put in! I've been spotting a bit for over a month since my last period so that's not fantastic but there's no sign of it getting any heavier. I'm not getting any of the tender breast horribleness or cramps or hormone junk that I had to go through every month pre birth control and I love that. No more sob sob why am I crying?? what's the date, oh right. I'm planning stuff without checking the calendar and giving the date my period is due a wide berth. Freedom!
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Sep 3, 2013 08:41
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Zvezda posted:It's almost 4 months since I had Nexaplanon put in! I've been spotting a bit for over a month since my last period so that's not fantastic but there's no sign of it getting any heavier. I'm not getting any of the tender breast horribleness or cramps or hormone junk that I had to go through every month pre birth control and I love that. No more sob sob why am I crying?? what's the date, oh right. I'm planning stuff without checking the calendar and giving the date my period is due a wide berth. Freedom! Were you using any form of BC before this? If yes, was your mood around your period dates affected by it, or did you just have bad PMS without BC?
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Sep 3, 2013 10:33
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bobula posted:Were you using any form of BC before this? If yes, was your mood around your period dates affected by it, or did you just have bad PMS without BC? I've never been on birth control before this. A few days of irrational, terrible despondency every month was just to be expected ! I never want to go back to that.
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Sep 3, 2013 12:57
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Kerfuffle posted:Might wanna make the video a regular link. Honestly, if I had seen that video before my IUD insertion, I think it really would have just made me more nervous/weirded out. Apollodorus, you know your girlfriend's squeamish-ness levels better than us but that video might just serve to put her off the prospect of getting an IUD rather than reassuring her. If she does watch it, also keep in mind that the IUD in the video is not a Paragard and looks quite different.
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Sep 3, 2013 20:14
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Another voice for the paragard support - I went through a whole mess of versions of the pill and I was depressed and gaining weight and had lovely acne and nothing was good for me. I tried going to nuvaring because it was lower hormone, just to see how it would work. I got happier and my acne got less. Logical conclusion a year later was to try no hormones. The only reservation I had is before I started birth control my periods were like a waterfall. The pill was originally for my hosed up periods but women in my family told me when I got older they would generally get better so I took the dive into IUD ville. BEST DECISION EVER. Consultation and insertion was a 30 minute appointment. I scheduled it on my period. They still ran a pregnancy/STI test which is what took the longest. Got it inserted, walked out, boyfriend drove me home, took a day off for cramps, back to work the next day and all was awesome. I spotted for about a week more and then my periods went back to normal. I also use a cup with it and that has worked out very well. I got mine in november of 2010 so coming up on 3 years hormone free. Lost over 30lbs since then. My skin has cleared up almost all the way and my chronic depression is well controlled through diet and exercise.
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Sep 4, 2013 02:39
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My girlfriend has been having some problems finding the right birth control method to use. Birth control pills made her gain 25 pounds and have made it extremely difficult for her to lose weight. She exercises 4-6 times a week, eats healthy clean non-processed foods and counts calories but the scale doesn't budge and she had her thyroid checked and there wasn't a problem. Before she was on birth control she was able to lose a substantial amount of weight in a shorter amount of time. She's trying to decide between Mirena and Paragard and possibly a diaphragm. Mirena would be fully covered with her health insurance, but Paragard not a dime. She's worried if she does do Mirena that since there are still some hormones involved that she won't be able to lose any weight and will be stuck, but she's worried if she pays for paragard that she's read a lot about the periods sucking and hurting a lot. The diaphragm just isn't convenient so that's kind of a last ditch effort. Any thoughts on what she should do? Thanks in advance for the help.
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Sep 4, 2013 03:34
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Use condoms/diaphragm for three to six months to see how big a difference there is. Then maybe try the minipill for awhile? It's a low-dose progestin-only pill that will be the closest thing to the hormones in Mirena. That's if she wants to compare as directly as possible. Alternately, try implanon? It's only a 3-year and the insertion/removal tends to make people less nervous than the IUD so it won't be as scary if it doesn't work out. But it's essentially just like Mirena in hormones, it just goes in the arm.
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Sep 4, 2013 04:13
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What she should do in terms of weight loss is start using a tape measure instead of a scale, refine her macro split, and possibly reduce her calories (counting alone does nothing and plateauing is normal). If she wants to look into other birth control, that's cool too, but nothing is likely to be a panacea. The obvious question is why are those her three options? If she wants something lower-effort than a pill, there are still other options. If she wants to get rid of estrogen, progesterone-only methods have different/fewer side effects. Let me recommend Implanon/Nexplanon for the ninetieth time to you and Apollodorus. Click on the ? under my name for tons more!
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Sep 4, 2013 04:14
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i like nice words
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Tigntink posted:Another voice for the paragard support - I went through a whole mess of versions of the pill and I was depressed and gaining weight and had lovely acne and nothing was good for me. I tried going to nuvaring because it was lower hormone, just to see how it would work. I got happier and my acne got less. Logical conclusion a year later was to try no hormones. The only reservation I had is before I started birth control my periods were like a waterfall. The pill was originally for my hosed up periods but women in my family told me when I got older they would generally get better so I took the dive into IUD ville. BEST DECISION EVER. Consultation and insertion was a 30 minute appointment. I scheduled it on my period. They still ran a pregnancy/STI test which is what took the longest. Got it inserted, walked out, boyfriend drove me home, took a day off for cramps, back to work the next day and all was awesome. I spotted for about a week more and then my periods went back to normal. I also use a cup with it and that has worked out very well. I got mine in november of 2010 so coming up on 3 years hormone free. Lost over 30lbs since then. My skin has cleared up almost all the way and my chronic depression is well controlled through diet and exercise. High five on the almost-three-years with Paragard club; got mine inserted October 2010, less than a month after starting law school. I actually walked to my appointment (alone), took an ibuprofen there that they gave me, and was in and out of the insertion itself in about 20 minutes. There was a resident shadowing the doctor doing the insertion that day, and I guess his fiancee had just recently finished law school, so he and I just talked about that the entire time and I barely noticed a thing. Like Grape Soda though, I did have a vasovagal reaction, which was annoying, but it happened as I was trying to check out so they just put me in a room to keep an eye on me until it passed. I'd had them before and once it was over I was able to walk back home and made it to class that afternoon no problem. It's been amazing; the only good side effects I ever had from the pill were predictable periods and clear skin, but they came with a heaping plate of emotional problems that I'm more than happy to go without.
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Sep 4, 2013 19:43
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