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Etuni posted:Thank you for all your help, this is useful info. I've been reading about a number of women who found their sex drive dropped dramatically or completely disappeared on Nexplanon, which makes me nervous about that method. Although, the same can be said for some women on IUDs... It's hard to make this decision when you can't know what side effects, if any, you'll get until you try! It affects everyone differently, but for what it's worth, I'm on my second Nexplanon and I haven't noticed any negative effects on my sex drive. It's lower than it was when I was younger, but I'd chalk that up to... not being a horny teenager anymore. 
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Jan 18, 2016 04:09
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Silver Falcon posted:It affects everyone differently, but for what it's worth, I'm on my second Nexplanon and I haven't noticed any negative effects on my sex drive. It's lower than it was when I was younger, but I'd chalk that up to... not being a horny teenager anymore. I think I might be in the same boat--is it the implant, or is it that I'm on year four with the same person? I think at least some is due to the implant. Anyway, I find that I've had pretty much the same reaction to nexplanon, which I've had for a year, and depo, which I used for about two years. Maybe try out a couple cycles of depo and see how your body reacts to progestin only?
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Jan 18, 2016 05:12
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The seal isn't really the main issue with the IUD + cup combo, but the string. The string can potentially get pinched between the walls of the cup when removing it, but as long as you make sure not to squeeze the cup like a madman and try to yank it our by force, there shouldn't be any issues.
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Jan 18, 2016 23:04
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meiram posted:I use a cup with my iud, and I know some others in here do too. It's definitely possible if you don't break the seal, but I don't think it's all that common. I wouldn't let that be a deterrent, you just have to make sure you break the seal on your cup when taking it out. I think it did happen to someone in here though. Yes, we did have a poster in the thread (a few years ago now I think) who partially pulled out her Mirena when removing her menstrual cup. So it's not just an urban legend type thing, but everything should be fine as long as you're careful.
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Jan 19, 2016 11:46
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Splish posted:I think I might be in the same boat--is it the implant, or is it that I'm on year four with the same person? I think at least some is due to the implant. I've been with my guy for 11 years. poo poo has it really been 11? Yeah, it has. I'm considering getting the ol' tubes tied, frankly. I'm 32 and still have no interest in reproducing, and neither does he. I figure if I regret that decision down the line, we can adopt.
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Jan 19, 2016 21:59
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Quick question for other Nexplanon/Implanon users, especially if it stopped your periods: do you notice any changes as you get towards replacement time? Mine is due for replacement in May and I've been happily period-free for almost three years, but I seem to be spotting out of nowhere today and I'm trying to figure out what's going on. For what it's worth I recently had my annual smear test and nothing worrisome came up, but is this a sign that the hormones are running out? Should I schedule my replacement now?
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Jan 25, 2016 11:20
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It's supposed to run out faster if you're overweight. But it's theoretically supposed to last 4 years (in normal-BMI women) and they always only prescribe it for 3, so the difference is often in the margin of error. If the spotting doesn't stop after a day or two, replacing it sooner would be a good idea. You could also double up on birth control or, if you really wanted, get your hormones tested to see what's up. But it's just a few months, so I'd probably just go ahead and replace it if the spotting didn't stop. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 13:37 on Jan 25, 2016 |
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Jan 25, 2016 13:35
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Hi guys. I actually forgot this thread existed and got nexplanon about 10 days ago without consulting the internet. I am trying to lighten/reduce my periods on it but this afternoon I started to spot brownish old blood. I'm so worried that this is a permanent thing. The last time I spotted like that, my cervix had been nicked so I'm a little worried. Anyone start getting hormonal effects like this so close to insertion, and does it go away in a few days?
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Feb 1, 2016 02:20
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Yup, spotting and irregular periods are totally normal after Nexplanon. It settles down after awhile!
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Feb 1, 2016 02:26
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Ok good. I'm minorly freaking out, since the last time I was on birth control I puked for six months straight.
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Feb 1, 2016 02:36
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So, my girlfriend is on nuvaring and she puts it in and takes it out at the correct times each month. There is a pretty large gap between perfect use and "typical" use according to their own stuff and wikipedia. Where does that gap come from? What kinds of things are going wrong that decreases the safety?
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Feb 14, 2016 05:30
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packsmack posted:So, my girlfriend is on nuvaring and she puts it in and takes it out at the correct times each month. There is a pretty large gap between perfect use and "typical" use according to their own stuff and wikipedia. Where does that gap come from? What kinds of things are going wrong that decreases the safety? You can temporarily take the ring out, as per the instructions, for up to 3 hours if it gets in the way of sexytimes. Now imagine how many people have hosed that up. Also all the regular stuff like forgetting to insert a new one on time, and taking the kinds of antibiotics that can affect it without using backup.
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Feb 14, 2016 06:07
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Scudworth posted:You can temporarily take the ring out, as per the instructions, for up to 3 hours if it gets in the way of sexytimes. Now imagine how many people have hosed that up. The only antibiotic that decreases the effectiveness of hormonal BC is Rifampin (used to treat tuberculosis) so most people will be safe if taking antibiotics while on a hormonal method. Epilepsy/bipolar meds are much more likely to be a culprit in terms of messing with effectiveness.
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Feb 14, 2016 16:04
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packsmack posted:So, my girlfriend is on nuvaring and she puts it in and takes it out at the correct times each month. There is a pretty large gap between perfect use and "typical" use according to their own stuff and wikipedia. Where does that gap come from? What kinds of things are going wrong that decreases the safety? In addition to what Scudworth mentioned, I'm pretty sure correct storage is a big thing with NuvaRing. I think you have to keep them refrigerated before use, which some people (and even sometimes pharmacies) don't do. Also sometimes they expire or people just aren't as careful about remembering all the correct times to take it out/put a new one in. Basically the same kind of stuff that makes a lot of birth control fail.
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Feb 15, 2016 01:20
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Nuvaring can safely be kept at room temp, they're just generally stored in the fridge. Leaving them in a hot car or something is the most likely temperature risk I can think of that would actually reduce effectiveness.
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Feb 15, 2016 03:16
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I'm considering going on the progesterin only mini-pill while breastfeeding. The only thing I know about it is that you have to take it at the EXACT SAME TIME every day or it won't be effective. How true is that really? And are there other side effects to be aware of? How does it affect your period?
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Feb 15, 2016 03:53
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Hi_Bears posted:I'm considering going on the progesterin only mini-pill while breastfeeding. The only thing I know about it is that you have to take it at the EXACT SAME TIME every day or it won't be effective. How true is that really? And are there other side effects to be aware of? How does it affect your period? It's really true, sadly. If you are off by an hour or so, spotting happens (or at least did for me). It mostly got rid of my period all together except I'd have random spotting for no reason at all (or from missing the exact time to take it). I was kind of all over the place for a while (spotting and period wise) until my body evened out and I started taking it at the exact same time everyday. It also drastically reduced my sex drive - but that doesn't seem to happen with everyone.
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Feb 16, 2016 15:06
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copy/pasted text from a thread I created and then closed. I figured I'd ask here instead: Ok, next Friday the 27th I'm going to get a vasectomy so I can't knock my wife up anymore. We have 3 kids and while we love them all dearly, we can't afford any more. She has side effects from birth control pills, and it's much easier for me to get a vasectomy than for her to get her tubes tied, so here we are. To be honest, I am freaking the gently caress out about the procedure. I get light headed if I even think about it too much. I even got dizzy in the doctors office during the initial consultation as he described what he would be doing. I'm going to be awake while they're sticking needles into my dick and cutting it open and aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Goons that have had one: What is the procedure itself like? What can I expect for recovery? I have the weekend off to recover, and I know I'm going to need to ice it a good deal. My doctor gave me 10mg of valium to take for the procedure. Will this just calm me down, or make me loopy to the point where I don't even know my name and won't know what's going on (the preferred choice)? I know what the doctor told me, and of course he's going to say it's not that bad, but I want to know firsthand from people who have had it done.
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Feb 16, 2016 16:19
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Retail Slave posted:copy/pasted text from a thread I created and then closed. I figured I'd ask here instead: There's a Vasectomy Megathread here in Ask/Tell that's just fallen back a few pages. People have posted a lot of questions and answers in there that might be helpful.
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Feb 16, 2016 17:01
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Whatever you do, listen to your doctor and don't move around doing things or you will be sore as hell. Sit down and stay sitting down for the weekend. Just pretend you are on some S and M vacation where you are paying someone $5,000 to cut open your balls and sew them back up. Kinky!
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Feb 18, 2016 17:28
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Hi_Bears posted:I'm considering going on the progesterin only mini-pill while breastfeeding. The only thing I know about it is that you have to take it at the EXACT SAME TIME every day or it won't be effective. How true is that really? And are there other side effects to be aware of? How does it affect your period? You need to take them pretty much around the same time. I believe the window is about two hours. I personally went absolutely batshit insane when I was on them, and was told by a doctor that I was probably imagining stuff. The woman who installed my IUD said she'd heard that complaint often. Also, my skin did some stuff. I was very, very happy to go off of them, to be honest. My period was exceptionally light on progesterin-only, for the record. I miss shorter periods. I'm about six months with my IUD and I am still getting heavy periods, although they're not as elevator-scene-from-the-Shining as they used to be.
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Feb 27, 2016 18:37
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Are all hormonal options the same for reducing periods? I'm thinking about going on BC, but the primary reason wouldn't be for contraception but to regulate my extremely heavy periods. I already take iron to protect from anemia since what is typical to put out over your entire period I can lose in 3-5 hours, so something needs to be done. I'd prefer to take pills rather than an IUD, as I already take medication on a regular basis so adding in another is no big deal, and I can't take ibuprofen so am a little wary about getting an IUD put in without comprehensive pain relief, but will pills be as effective for the period stopping/lightening?
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Mar 13, 2016 20:13
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you could try progestin-only pills or the implant (Nexplanon), they both have lightened periods as a possible side effect
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Mar 13, 2016 20:38
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I had significant period lightening even with combo pills. And every lady I know with the implant has said her period has gotten lighter, albeit irregular. But, poo poo, I'd take irregular over murderpants anemia periods.
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Mar 13, 2016 21:12
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Asiina posted:I'd prefer to take pills rather than an IUD, as I already take medication on a regular basis so adding in another is no big deal, and I can't take ibuprofen so am a little wary about getting an IUD put in without comprehensive pain relief, but will pills be as effective for the period stopping/lightening? There are many longer term hormonal options between and IUD and pills, and all hormonal methods are effective at making your period lighter or stopping it. Not quite as much as the hormonal IUD but very effective. There's also the Implanon implant (lasts 3 years), Depo shot (lasts 3 months), a birth control skin patch (once a month), vaginal ring (once a month), and then ye old daily pills. With your monthly options like pills or the patch or the ring, you can almost stop your period completely by skipping the traditional "break week". I had the same kinds of periods you did and I'm doing this currently with the ring to stop my periods and I've had 4 in 2 years, it is heaven and I'm off iron pills finally.
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Mar 13, 2016 21:21
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Asiina posted:Are all hormonal options the same for reducing periods? I'm thinking about going on BC, but the primary reason wouldn't be for contraception but to regulate my extremely heavy periods. I already take iron to protect from anemia since what is typical to put out over your entire period I can lose in 3-5 hours, so something needs to be done. Reducing or regulating? Progestin-only options are good for lightening or possibly stopping periods, but it can make things kind of irregular. Combination methods will make your period more regular and also possibly lighter too.
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Mar 14, 2016 00:30
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Geolicious posted:I had significant period lightening even with combo pills. Fwiw when I had the implant my periods did get somewhat lighter but I literally met the criteria for polymenorrhea and my periods lasted anywhere from 1.5 to 3 weeks. I had it taken out after a year because my poo poo clearly was not gonna settle down. However I still recommend that people try it if they can because if it works, it works.
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Mar 15, 2016 17:42
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Kimmalah posted:Reducing or regulating? Progestin-only options are good for lightening or possibly stopping periods, but it can make things kind of irregular. Combination methods will make your period more regular and also possibly lighter too. Reducing, since I'm pretty sure they're fairly regular. Even though I'm over 30 I used to be extremely obese and stopped getting my periods when I was 19. I lost a whole bunch of weight and one of the results was my periods returning. They've only been around for 4 months now, but as soon as they came back they seemed to hit a pretty regular schedule, the problem is just the volume. I've spoken to the RN who helped me through weight loss and sees this kind of thing all the time to ask if they'll settle down over time, but she said it's unlikely and they are what they are. I'll talk more in depth with my doctor when I see him next week about it, and he may want to wait a few more months to see if it does settle, but it's completely debilitating currently, so hopefully I'll be able to get something done right away. Since I've never had any sort of BC before, I'll probably start with oral medication and see how it goes although the implant does sound like a good option too.
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Mar 15, 2016 19:05
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I'm looking into getting an IUD as an option instead of continuing birth control pills - I'm 28 and not interested in having children. Currently I take Tricyclene as others I tried in the past (cannot remember the names now) were giving me terrible depression and mood swings. If I'm on that BC, would one recommend Minerva or a copper IUD? I do not believe I am allergic to copper but I could always ask for a sample to test. I read the FAQ but I couldn't really discern an answer there myself, sorry.
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Mar 20, 2016 21:52
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Copper IUD is hormone free. So if you want off of hormones entirely, go with that one. Estrogen is usually (but not always) the culprit with hormonal issues on BC. Mirena is progesterone only. You can maybe ask your doc to try you on the mini pill before you take the IUD plunge to see if you do OK with progesterone only. And the hormones from the IUD are much more localized.
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Mar 21, 2016 03:25
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Chicken Doodle posted:I'm looking into getting an IUD as an option instead of continuing birth control pills - I'm 28 and not interested in having children. Currently I take Tricyclene as others I tried in the past (cannot remember the names now) were giving me terrible depression and mood swings. If I'm on that BC, would one recommend Minerva or a copper IUD? I do not believe I am allergic to copper but I could always ask for a sample to test. I'm on my second Mirena, and I have never had a birth control as good as this. While everyone is different, progesterone-only BC works really well for me and I don't have any terrible side effects. Outside of some random spotting, I haven't had a real period for 5 or so years (which is loving super). I also don't want children AND I was admittedly terrible at remembering to take a pill at the same time every day, and so having an IUD that I can just forget about has been a lifesaver. The no-period (after a couple months or so, YMMV) is enough for me to recommend the Mirena to anyone who doesn't mind still taking hormones, but the Paraguard still definitely fulfills a lot of the same goals too.
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Mar 21, 2016 08:53
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Chicken Doodle posted:I'm looking into getting an IUD as an option instead of continuing birth control pills - I'm 28 and not interested in having children. Currently I take Tricyclene as others I tried in the past (cannot remember the names now) were giving me terrible depression and mood swings. If I'm on that BC, would one recommend Minerva or a copper IUD? I do not believe I am allergic to copper but I could always ask for a sample to test. For what it's worth, I had Mirena for a few months last summer and got extremely depressed and very mood swingy. Some of the most miserable months of my life (I posted about it here, I think). I got it removed and was back to normal in a few weeks. I've got paragard now and basically have cramps to some degree almost daily, but I guess it's better than babies.
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Mar 21, 2016 10:48
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Yea it's really hard to know what your individual reaction will be to any kind of BC. I also got off the Mirena after a year because I suspected it made me depressed (though there are always other life factors at play so I can't be 100% sure). I'm trying the progesterone-only mini pill right now and already experiencing spotting after 5 days, while I didn't get periods at all on my combo BC (Lo Loestrin, which I LOVE).
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Mar 21, 2016 18:54
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Thanks for the answers/summaries ladies. I've got a few questions to take to my doctor next time I see him. If I decide to go through with it I'll be back!
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Mar 22, 2016 06:27
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I feel like way back I saw a suggestion for cheap, bulk pregnancy tests on Amazon—can someone share if they know what I'm speaking of? To be fair, that might not be what I need right now. Weird medical stuff, new medication, and stress has made this month awkward, and I had the lightest period I can recall—light enough to make me wonder, for sure. I've been deliberately super safe, taking the pill within the same 1 hour window every day, but my body is freaking me out. Will I ever not have accidental pregnancy anxiety? 
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Apr 3, 2016 16:59
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Yeah you can get big packs of the strips on Amazon for pretty cheap. The only downside is they're the ones you have to pee in a cup and dip the strip. But they work just as well. Just search for test strips. Also, dollar store tests are just as good as the drugstore kind as long as you're not trying to detect early. I'm a big believer in peeing on the stick to ease your mind. Or get answers so you can assess your options. But don't feel alone. I pretty much lived in accidental pregnancy anxiety in all my years on the pill, even with my super anal schedule taking them. And I can guarantee you I'd be anxious with my Mirena if I had PiV sex. I think it's just part of my programming. Being pregnant is the literal last thing I want.
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Apr 3, 2016 21:55
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Thanks, Geo.  It sucks to be constantly on edge about pregnancy unless you have a full-on, "this is a period happening" period, but as you said, being pregnant is the literal last thing I want. I figure I'd be better off with the cheap strips hanging around to remind me that, in fact, I'm actually pretty dang responsible and the odds are very slim something would happen.
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Apr 4, 2016 00:07
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broken pixel posted:Thanks, Geo. I know it's the exact opposite of what you're trying to do, but there's a thread for people who are trying to get pregnant here in Ask/Tell that has several links to cheap, bulk pregnancy tests. Because I guess when you're trying for months and months you go through a lot of them.
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Apr 4, 2016 14:30
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Hi thread, I got a Paragard today and now I'm being a huge baby and cuddling up to a heating pad and my bottle(s) of ibuprofen. Is there anything anybody particularly recommends for cramps? Is there a better option than ibuprofen as far as over-the-counter stuff? I used to have really bad cramps, but they lightened up considerably over the last couple years and so it is going to be rocky readjusting 
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Apr 5, 2016 22:06
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LITERALLY A BIRD posted:Hi thread, I got a Paragard today and now I'm being a huge baby and cuddling up to a heating pad and my bottle(s) of ibuprofen. Is there anything anybody particularly recommends for cramps? Is there a better option than ibuprofen as far as over-the-counter stuff? I used to have really bad cramps, but they lightened up considerably over the last couple years and so it is going to be rocky readjusting Welcome to the club! I like Aleve but I just take an extra one of whatever I take so who knows what I'm talking about. Personally I'm coming up on 2 years (at the end of this month wutup) and my cramps and period have lessened significantly since insertion. The first 6 months it was like the elevator scene from The Shining but now it's just normal heavy and not super ultra plus tampon 6 times a day heavy.
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Apr 5, 2016 22:44
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