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SilverSliver posted:
Yo Silv!  Unfortunately I live on the edge of the bible belt (northern Louisiana) and if a Planned Parenthood were to take up shop here it'd probably be run out of town. There's a Planned Parenthood all the way down in Baton Rouge which is around 4 hour drive from here. There's also womens clinic here in town that I can walk to though that provides birth control services like IUD and implanon so I should be able to get some advice from them. I actually have a 6PM medication alarm I use, and I'm good with taking all my other medications at that time but for some reason I just straight up forget the birth control.  Maybe if I put all the active pills in a prescription pill bottle instead of a stupid clamshell thing it'd make it feel more "natural" or something, I don't know. Something to try out with my new pack next week I guess. I wake up and eat dinner at a different time each day (college student with different MWF and TTR classes), and the only constant thing throughout the week is the whole "take meds at 6pm" thing.
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Oct 21, 2013 13:02
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SilverSliver posted:Okay big breath. Goooosefraba..... Blast it.  The reason I went with the Paragard is because I'm very sensitive to hormones. I've even tried oral birth control with THE LOWEST amount of hormones you could get and I still went crazy, like absolutely bat poo poo. From what I understand (or have been told by my doctor), there are very little options for birth control, besides condoms of course, that are non-hormonal. In fact I think I've tried them all? Lo loestrin and Paragard.Condoms don't really work for either my boyfriend nor I because I get horrible yeast infections with any kind, and he can never get off with them. When we were able to have sex after the second insertion, he was able to get off finally, and I'm one of those weird people who would really don't enjoy sex all that much if my partner doesn't come. I just.. aaaarrgghh. what do I do.
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Oct 21, 2013 14:57
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Can you ask about Skyla? I know it's only for 3 years, but isn't it a bit smaller to be designed for nulliparous women? I know it's still hormonal, but it is progesterone only and low dose... I don't know the size dimensions of Mirena vs. Paragard.
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Oct 21, 2013 15:26
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That looks like it could be an option. I will ask her about that when I go in, and I know I should probably schedule an appointment for today but I just am not up to that kind of pain right now.
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Oct 21, 2013 15:48
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silversiren posted:That looks like it could be an option. I will ask her about that when I go in, and I know I should probably schedule an appointment for today but I just am not up to that kind of pain right now. Skyla is hormonal. If you're going for hormonal just get implanon. Insertion doesn't hurt nearly as much, it's way less likely to reject and AFAIK the hormone levels are close to those of Mirena and Skyla. There are options! I think I shill implanon a lot in here and I won't lie my hormones were a little awkward for about 8 weeks but in the end it was so, so worth it.
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Oct 21, 2013 16:07
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I'm Implanon's biggest fangirl, but if your big goal is to avoid erratic periods, you should not get Implanon. The one thing that's guaranteed is irregular bleeding.
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Oct 21, 2013 16:30
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i like nice words
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I have been wanting to get on some kind of birth control for a while now, but I've been afraid to do so. My family is very conservative, and so when I was a kid my mother would not say much about birth control to me except that it was very unpleasant and that I shouldn't go on it. I know at one point my aunt did a DNA test on herself and discovered that some of the women in my family may be at risk for some kind of heart problems on hormonal birth control, but again, my mom didn't discuss it with us because she didn't want us to be on birth control, because she didn't want us to be sexually active, so I never really found out the full story or whether or not I would be at risk. Now I am married and have no intention to make babies, and condoms are a chore, so I'm going to be speaking with my doctor about what birth control might work best for me. However, this is what's been keeping me from wanting to even try:  That's a lot of hardware right in my pelvis. It's the reason I don't plan on getting pregnant, and it's the reason I put off birth control this long into my marriage. I'm nervous about blood clots and pelvic infections, and so while an IUD is very appealing, I think I'm going to go with a pill. But even so, blood clots scare the hell out of me with all this junk going on in my pelvic area. Its been three years since my accident, which I'm told puts me less at risk, but I'm wondering if anyone here can point me in the direction of which hormonal birth control might be best for someone with this kind of issue. I was thinking about asking about estrostep, because it has been shown to help with skin problems, which I have. Honestly, I don't know, I'm just very nervous to talk to my doctor about it after having so little education about it in my life. Plus all this extra metal. Any advice?
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Oct 21, 2013 18:36
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Huntersoninski posted:I have been wanting to get on some kind of birth control for a while now, but I've been afraid to do so. My family is very conservative, and so when I was a kid my mother would not say much about birth control to me except that it was very unpleasant and that I shouldn't go on it. I know at one point my aunt did a DNA test on herself and discovered that some of the women in my family may be at risk for some kind of heart problems on hormonal birth control, but again, my mom didn't discuss it with us because she didn't want us to be on birth control, because she didn't want us to be sexually active, so I never really found out the full story or whether or not I would be at risk. Explain everything you just told us to your doctor. If you're worried about being able to talk openly about it, make yourself a list. I like lists. Outline your concerns and questions and keep a pen out in order to check things off as you address them. EDIT: I don't want to double post, so I'll add it here. I'm the one whose boyfriend had issues with an IUD. I'm making an appointment soon to have one placed. I want a Skyla but am not opposed to a mirena. He's not thrilled, but isn't making a huge fuss, either. GabrielAisling fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Oct 21, 2013 |
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Oct 21, 2013 18:49
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If you have a clotting disorder (and a lot of people do, me included), you can't take estrogen, but progesterone-only methods should be fine. Doctors aren't always up on this, but some are, and there's research and resources online.
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Oct 21, 2013 20:04
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Huntersoninski posted:Now I am married and have no intention to make babies, and condoms are a chore... Get your husband to agree to a vasectomy.
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Oct 21, 2013 21:23
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We've discussed it but he'd rather me look into non surgical options first, which I can understand.
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Oct 21, 2013 21:39
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Chiba City Blues posted:Yo Silv! Something I thought of that may help since you take other medications: could you maybe get one of those weekly pill organizer containers and just put all the pills you need to take day to day in those? Whenever you fill it up, you could just pop out your birth control pill for that day and put it together with everything else you take. Also, this might be a dumb question, but do you keep your birth control pills in a visible place with your other medication? It might help if you just leave it somewhere you know for certain you'll see it (next to your toothbrush, on your nightstand, by the coffee pot, whatever). Hell, leave the clamshell-thing open so it looks more like a blister pack of pills instead of a make-up compact or something. Huntersoninski posted:We've discussed it but he'd rather me look into non surgical options first, which I can understand. Well like the other poster said, progestin-only methods of birth control (things like "mini-pills," Mirena, Implanon, Depo Provera, etc.) don't carry the blood clot risk of birth control with estrogen. And then there would be non-hormonal options like a Paragard/copper IUD. I can't blame you for not wanting to have anything else going on in your pelvis, but something like an IUD shouldn't really affect it considering it will be contained entirely in your uterus and won't be in contact with your bones at all. The big thing to remember if you go with progestin-only pills is that they have a much smaller "margin of error" so you have to be very accurate with the time you take them. Of course if you're looking for something to help with your skin, you'd really be looking for something with estrogen in it. There are also the less popular (and somewhat less reliable) barrier methods like diaphragms and cervical caps if you're just trying to get away from condoms. But they might be a little intimidating if you're not really familiar with reaching up inside yourself or the spermicide you use with it could be irritating. I think it would probably be wise to go to a doctor and just explain your situation and condition. Most of us here probably don't have experience with a medical history like yours and what effect it may (or may not!) have on your birth control options.
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Oct 21, 2013 23:29
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Thank you all for the great information. I do plan on discussing it all with my doctor but it's nice to have some information ahead of time so I can go in with a list of my needs beyond "1) Don't make me pregnant 2) Don't make me more ugly 3) no more pelvis metal 4) Don't make me die please." I know my sister took the shot for a while and she gained a lot of weight, which isn't something I want and anyway can't really afford to do with my busted rear end pelvic situation. I have had issues with cysts in the past, and issues with acne currently, so exacerbating that is a big worry for me too. My mom would never say anything about her bc experience other than "awful," so who even knows what I can expect overall and I guess I mostly just want to keep living the way I do currently only less pregnancy risks. And this is the point where I usually say "so I guess condoms are fine for that" and talk myself out of the doctor's visit. You all are very helpful. I'll try to get an appointment for my half day next week.
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Oct 22, 2013 00:02
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Well the main concern with regard to blood clots and hormonal birth control is if you have factors that predispose you to blood clots anyway like being a smoker, being over 35, having some kind of clotting disorder, migraines with an aura, being really sedentary etc. I don't know if having the metal in your pelvis would be considered a risk factor or not, hence the doctor recommendation. And a genetic test your aunt took won't tell you much since you don't carry the exact same genes as her when it comes to things like heart disease. Not that perfectly healthy women don't have that risk, just that most likely the pill won't kill you. Plus (let's face it) every form of birth control you take into your body is going to have some kind of rare but nasty risk to your health involved. For example, mine doesn't cause blood clots but could have caused a horrible internal infection leading to possible death or perforated one of my major organs (also possibly leading to death). 
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Oct 22, 2013 00:25
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Kimmalah posted:Something I thought of that may help since you take other medications: could you maybe get one of those weekly pill organizer containers and just put all the pills you need to take day to day in those? Whenever you fill it up, you could just pop out your birth control pill for that day and put it together with everything else you take. I actually tried that once and it didn't work out so well. I think I associate "pill time" with orange tinted plastic containers and if I'm taking medication from another source it just doesn't stick as well. I do keep my clamshell in the same drawer I keep all my other medications so I get a glance at it but still, I usually skip over it. I'll try leaving it open this week, or discarding the clamshell all together, and see how it works out.
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Oct 22, 2013 02:16
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Chiba City Blues posted:I actually tried that once and it didn't work out so well. I think I associate "pill time" with orange tinted plastic containers and if I'm taking medication from another source it just doesn't stick as well. I do keep my clamshell in the same drawer I keep all my other medications so I get a glance at it but still, I usually skip over it. I'll try leaving it open this week, or discarding the clamshell all together, and see how it works out. You could try one of those weekly pill containers and put all yours medications for the week in it.
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Oct 22, 2013 03:00
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GabrielAisling posted:You could try one of those weekly pill containers and put all yours medications for the week in it. That was exactly what I suggested and apparently she already tried (unless she misunderstood what I meant).
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Oct 22, 2013 03:23
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Kimmalah posted:That was exactly what I suggested and apparently she already tried (unless she misunderstood what I meant). She did, but I would've too because nowhere in your post do you recommend one of those, although I guess you do suggest discarding the clamshell. There's also options you don't deal with everyday, like Nuvaring or shots, if you really struggle with the pills. Not as permanent as the stick-in-yous but not daily either!
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Oct 22, 2013 05:03
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So the only place that does IUD placements that is in my insurance group thingy is also the place that failed to inform my best friend that her birth control was recalled because it was not effective, resulting in a surprise pregnancy and her second miscarriage. I am a bit apprehensive about trusting my health to that sort of place.
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Oct 22, 2013 05:38
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InEscape posted:She did, but I would've too because nowhere in your post do you recommend one of those, although I guess you do suggest discarding the clamshell. That's what I was talking about when I said "weekly pill organizer" in my previous posts if you want to go back and read. Sorry I don't know the exact terminology for pill containers.
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Oct 22, 2013 11:13
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I think I'm losing more hair than normal and I'm suspicious that it's my Mirena. I know this is a possible side effect, but I was wondering if anyone knew whether certain side effects are causal or related moreso than others. I have had complete amenorrhea, weight loss, a decrease in mood swings and an increase in acne. I would really really hate to take it out, so I want to be sure it's what's causing my hair loss before I do. Any insight?
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Oct 23, 2013 00:40
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I STILL haven't been able to make an appointment to get an IUD. The only place in my insurance network wants my father's SSN before they'll even make me an appointment. I've never had anywhere demand such personal information over the phone just so they can schedule to charge me $35 and make me fight a provider for an IUD.
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Oct 23, 2013 01:33
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Kimmalah posted:Well the main concern with regard to blood clots and hormonal birth control is if you have factors that predispose you to blood clots anyway like being a smoker, being over 35, having some kind of clotting disorder, migraines with an aura, being really sedentary etc. I don't know if having the metal in your pelvis would be considered a risk factor or not, hence the doctor recommendation. And a genetic test your aunt took won't tell you much since you don't carry the exact same genes as her when it comes to things like heart disease. Haha yeah say which BC are you on so I can avoid the perforation thing  Appointment next week... thought for sure I'd be getting the female nurse practitioner but randomly scored a slot with my actual doctor: a male who hasn't seen me since he delivered me. Hnng is this worth it even
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Oct 23, 2013 20:06
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I'm curious now- do any of my fellow Mirena users get really itchy legs during their periods? I was just whining at my husband about it and he says that I always complain about it when I'm on my "period", but since I don't bleed anymore and was never good at tracking it in the first place, he's the only one who knows that it's that time of the month for me... I never put two and two together til he did just now. He did some cursory googling and found a couple other women complaining about itchy legs and they all say they have a Mirena, so I'm wondering if it's actually a side effect or if we're crazy.
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Oct 24, 2013 02:20
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A question for those of you who had your IUD expel. What did the end feel like? I was up in there checking things out and this time I felt the tip of my finger get poked. I'm not sure if I've ever felt the strings before. It doesn't feel very thick but does give some resistance. Of course its late at night here so going to the Doctor is out until after work tomorrow. No cramps or anything. Worried I might have caused it using my diva cup today  Really hoping its just my cervix moving into a pokey string position... ARGH Now I get worry about while I'm working tomorrow.Edit: I should note that I don't feel anything string like around the pokey bit. I'm assuming if it was the end of the mirena I would also feel strings? Lady Xava fucked around with this message at 05:46 on Oct 25, 2013 |
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Oct 25, 2013 05:37
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I got the run around from the place in Valdosta (where I kinda live), so I made an appointment at the closest Planned Parenthood to my hometown. I had my consultation today. I got kinda wishy-washy about Implanon vs Mirena and took home the info sheets for both. My insurance company doesn't know if they cover Implanon or not, so Mirena (100% covered) is the safer bet. My appointment for insertion is on Tuesday and I will probably not be on my period, so it'll be a more difficult insertion. And I have to make the four hour trip back to Valdosta the same day. I won't have to drive, thankfully. I am, however, freaking out about insertion pain/cramps and possibly road trip misery. I don't want to read random website stories and freak myself out more.
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Oct 25, 2013 06:53
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GabrielAisling posted:I got the run around from the place in Valdosta (where I kinda live), so I made an appointment at the closest Planned Parenthood to my hometown. I had my consultation today. I got kinda wishy-washy about Implanon vs Mirena and took home the info sheets for both. My insurance company doesn't know if they cover Implanon or not, so Mirena (100% covered) is the safer bet. My appointment for insertion is on Tuesday and I will probably not be on my period, so it'll be a more difficult insertion. And I have to make the four hour trip back to Valdosta the same day. I won't have to drive, thankfully. I am, however, freaking out about insertion pain/cramps and possibly road trip misery. I don't want to read random website stories and freak myself out more. Heating pads were the best thing after my insertion. You might be able to find period specific ones but the back pain pads work just as well. I bought the back pain pads that use two separate small pads vs one big one. The small size fit perfectly between my pants and underwear. My insertion wasn't fun but it was no where close to as bad as I imagined. It was over really fast too. Just remember to breath and you'll be fine :-)
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Oct 25, 2013 07:04
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Lady Xava posted:A question for those of you who had your IUD expel. What did the end feel like? I was up in there checking things out and this time I felt the tip of my finger get poked. I'm not sure if I've ever felt the strings before. It doesn't feel very thick but does give some resistance. Of course its late at night here so going to the Doctor is out until after work tomorrow. No cramps or anything. Worried I might have caused it using my diva cup today From this very thread I've read that there's cramping and then it's expelled, as well as the calm 'went to the washroom and there it was in the bowl'. So I think it's individual. Though I've also heard a lot about the stings themselves feeling 'pokey'. How long have you had it for? If the doctor cut your strings short they can feel pokey like that for a few months until they soften up. Apparently the Mirena more so than the Paraguard. Definitely doesn't hurt to make a Dr's appointment if you're concerned though. And no sexin' until you figure it out!
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Oct 25, 2013 10:22
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Huntersoninski posted:Haha yeah say which BC are you on so I can avoid the perforation thing IUDs have a risk of perforating the uterus, but it's really only a danger during insertion and usually happens when you have a doctor who's not very experienced or good at insertions. It's a rare thing for the most part. Keep in mind that millions of women use BC methods everyday without dying from blood clots/perforation/whatever else there might be. So while it's definitely very good to weigh the risks with your doctor and all that, don't get so hung up on it that you're too scared to try anything at all.
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Oct 25, 2013 11:17
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Lady Xava posted:A question for those of you who had your IUD expel. What did the end feel like? I was up in there checking things out and this time I felt the tip of my finger get poked. I'm not sure if I've ever felt the strings before. It doesn't feel very thick but does give some resistance. Of course its late at night here so going to the Doctor is out until after work tomorrow. No cramps or anything. Worried I might have caused it using my diva cup today When I expelled the Paragard I felt a hard plastic tip sticking out of my cervix. It was rounded off and didn't feel like the strings (the string feels like fishing wire so then ends can be a bit sharp and poke your finger). It kind of felt like the end of a pen cap. I hope this helps. 
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Oct 25, 2013 11:43
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SilverSliver posted:From this very thread I've read that there's cramping and then it's expelled, as well as the calm 'went to the washroom and there it was in the bowl'. So I think it's individual. Though I've also heard a lot about the stings themselves feeling 'pokey'. How long have you had it for? If the doctor cut your strings short they can feel pokey like that for a few months until they soften up. Apparently the Mirena more so than the Paraguard. Erysipelothrix posted:When I expelled the Paragard I felt a hard plastic tip sticking out of my cervix. It was rounded off and didn't feel like the strings (the string feels like fishing wire so then ends can be a bit sharp and poke your finger). It kind of felt like the end of a pen cap. I hope this helps. Thanks ladies. I'm leaning towards finding my strings for the first time. The end of what I'm feeling feels kinda sharp and thin with some flex. Nothing like a pen cap. Also I'd imagine that if I was feeling the bottom of the IUD I would also be feeling the strings as well. I only feel the one thing in there. Still going to the Doc just make sure since I've never felt anything in there since it was inserted back in June. Yay paranoia!
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Oct 25, 2013 14:47
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Erysipelothrix posted:When I expelled the Paragard I felt a hard plastic tip sticking out of my cervix. It was rounded off and didn't feel like the strings (the string feels like fishing wire so then ends can be a bit sharp and poke your finger). It kind of felt like the end of a pen cap. I hope this helps. I'm sorry, did you just say the IUD is the size of a pen cap?
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Oct 25, 2013 15:35
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No its much thinner than a pen cap. But it's the closest thing I can think of that is a similar texture (small, slightly rounded, hard plastic nub).
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Oct 25, 2013 15:52
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This is the size of a Mirena, with a quarter to reference. 
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Oct 25, 2013 15:54
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Lady Xava posted:Thanks ladies. I'm leaning towards finding my strings for the first time. The end of what I'm feeling feels kinda sharp and thin with some flex. Nothing like a pen cap. Also I'd imagine that if I was feeling the bottom of the IUD I would also be feeling the strings as well. I only feel the one thing in there. Still going to the Doc just make sure since I've never felt anything in there since it was inserted back in June. Yay paranoia! I don't mean to make you even more paranoid but when I expelled my (two) Flexi-Ts I never felt the tips, just longer strings than I was used to. They were definitely expelling but apparently not enough for me to feel the tip of the IUDs. My point is that you might want to keep an eye on the length of the strings. It's normal for it to change slightly but you might want to ask your gyno if you notice a significant difference.
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Oct 25, 2013 19:11
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Lady Xava posted:Thanks ladies. I'm leaning towards finding my strings for the first time. The end of what I'm feeling feels kinda sharp and thin with some flex. Nothing like a pen cap. Also I'd imagine that if I was feeling the bottom of the IUD I would also be feeling the strings as well. I only feel the one thing in there. Still going to the Doc just make sure since I've never felt anything in there since it was inserted back in June. Yay paranoia! "Sharp and thin with some flex" is a pretty good description of what my Paragard strings feel like whenever I feel them. The pokey feeling is probably the ends of the strings, which can be a bit sharp if they poke you directly in the finger. Getting it checked by a doctor if you're worried is always a good idea though.
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Oct 25, 2013 23:21
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Of course the walk in is closed early on Friday! Looks like I'll be up early tomorrow to get this checked. The peace of mind will be worth it. I guess I was expecting the strings to be softer. The doctor that did my insertion never even mentioned checking them and I never thought to ask what they feel like. Hopefully I'm just overreacting. Btw that picture is really helpful. Searching Mirena pics turns up very few that give an idea of size.
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Oct 25, 2013 23:38
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Lady Xava posted:Of course the walk in is closed early on Friday! Looks like I'll be up early tomorrow to get this checked. The peace of mind will be worth it. I guess I was expecting the strings to be softer. The doctor that did my insertion never even mentioned checking them and I never thought to ask what they feel like. My doctor basically made me feel the strings by holding out the leftover pieces from when they trimmed the strings so I'd know what I was looking for in there. They also had me reach in and practice checking before I even had a chance to get dressed. Like the poster above mentioned, they basically feel like fishing line. As the months have gone by they've gotten so soft I sometimes have trouble feeling them at all though, unless I get poked by the ends.As for checking, some doctors seem to think it's really important to check at least once every month and others don't. Sounds like you just got one of the latter. I don't think there's really a right or wrong answer there, but it's probably good to check every now and then.
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Oct 26, 2013 06:10
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My girlfriend and I were intimate Thursday, Friday, yesterday, and today. She took a dose of Plan B today, and according to her period tracker she'll ovulate about Wednesday/Thursday? I need to know: How safe are we?
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Oct 27, 2013 19:53
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Every day you wait decreases the effectiveness....it drops from something like 95% effective to like 65% after 24 hours if I recall correctly from my experience with it years ago. Also prepare for hell. YMMV but I had intermittent bleeding for 3 solid months.
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Oct 27, 2013 20:13
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